Japan’s Oscar entry Kokuho, the coming-of-age Kobuki drama that stars Ryo Yoshizawa and Ken Watanabe, will hit U.S. theaters for an award-qualifying run beginning November 14 in Los Angeles and November 21 in New York.
Gkids unveiled the news today as well as the film’s poster (see it below) after it acquired rights to the pic directed by Sang-il Lee (Pachinko) just before its North American bow this month at TIFF; it world premiered in May at Cannes in the festival’s Directors’ Fortnight sidebar.
Its U.S. runs will take place first for a week at AMC Universal CityWalk and then a week at the Angelika Film Center in New York. It next AFI Fest in Los Angeles on October 24.
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Kokuho is the second highest-grossing live-action movie of all time in Japan, where it has grossed more than $104 million since its June premiere. Yoshizawa trained 18 months in the art and history of Kabuki theater to play an actor pursuing greatness at all costs, in a story of glory and heartbreak that spans decades.
The logline: Nagasaki, 1964. After the death of his father, the leader of a yakuza gang, 14-year-old Kikuo is taken under the wing of a famous Kabuki actor. Alongside Shunsuke, the actor’s only son, Kikuo (Yoshizawa) decides to dedicate himself to this traditional form of theatre. Across decades, the two young men grow and evolve together – from acting school to the grandest stages – amid scandals and glory, brotherhood and betrayals, as each pushes to become the greatest living Kabuki master.
Ryusei Yokohama also stars.
The movie marks the first live-action contemporary film release from well known animated film distributor Gkids, which was acquired by Japanese media giant Toho almost a year ago.
Here’s the poster:
