‘Yasuke’: ‘Lupin’ star Omar Sy in talks to star in live-action series Black Samurai

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix is ​​developing a live-action series of “Yasuke,” which tells the story of a legendary African samurai.

Additionally, Omar Sy (“Lupin”) is reportedly in talks to star in the project, which is the result of a partnership with 21 Laps and Important Productions.

For those unaware, the character is based on the true story of an African man taken as a slave to feudal Japan, but eventually becomes the country’s first samurai of non-Eastern descent.

The adaptation will have five episodes and will be written by screenwriter Nick Jones Jr., who also wrote the eponymous anime released by the platform last year.

It will be based on the novel ‘Yasuke – African Samurai’ by Craig Shreve.

Enjoy watching:

“Having the chance to finally bring the legendary true story of Yasuke to life has been a dream of mine since serving in Japan as a Marine,” Jones said in a statement.

While the anime will incorporate fantasy elements, the live-action series will be a dramatization of true history, focusing on Yasuke’s friendship with samurai warrior Oda Nobunaga as he rises through the ranks.

Sy also celebrated the project saying:

“I have long been inspired by Yasuke. Together with this superb team, we are creating a remarkable series showing what it meant to be an African samurai in Japanese history. The action sequences alone will be phenomenal and ingenious.

Jones and Sy are also credited as executive producers, alongside Shawn Levy, Josh Barry, Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi.

“It’s the perfect project for what Forest and I were looking for – the blending of two cultures through great storytelling,” Bongiovi said. “Bringing a real-life historical figure to the screen, combined with an incredible action plot and faces representing Black and Asian heritage – behind and in front of the camera – is a dream come true.”

There is currently no release date for the series.

In the meantime, watch the animation trailer:

The series was created by LeSean Thomas, who is also in charge of the production.

In war-torn feudal Japan, robots and magic coexist. The great ronin Yasuke tries to put a violent past behind him, but is forced to take up his sword again when a village becomes the scene of a bloody civil war between daimyos and he is tasked with protecting a mysterious child pursued by the forces. difficulty.

Lakeith Stanfield (“Run!”) voices the main character.

The production will be released on the platform on April 29.

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