Sakaguchi, Yada to star in Japanese version of 'Die Hard'
Entertainment ( 44 )
TOKYO —
Actor Kenji Sakaguchi, 34, will play the main role in a loose Japanese version of the hit 1988 American film “Die Hard,” which will be aired on Fuji TV in May. The story deals with a stoic and daring detective who has to cope with a terrorist plot.
Akiko Yada, 31, will co-star in the drama as a cop, marking her comeback after a year off dealing with her divorce from actor Manabu Oshio.
In the film, the entire city of Tokyo is threatened by a terrorist who threatens to detonate a massive bomb. Police have 24 hours to pay up or else. Sakaguchi’s character is modeled on John McClane, which propelled Bruce Willis to stardom in the “Die Hard” series.
Yada, who is better known for playing teachers, weather reporters and more gentle types, will play a detective for the first time. She said she hopes to project a new image of a strong woman.
Of his role, Sakaguchi said: “I will give audiences a new muscular detective to look forward to.”
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44 Comments
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Sarge
Hey, he even looks like Bruce Willis!
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pamelot
" Yippee Kai-yay, mo' fo' " ;^P
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NationalistRE
"That flatfooted Edokko!"
Really, Die Hard was not about Bruce Willis at all, it only worked because Alan Rickman and that cop from Family Matters
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shugotokumaru
This movie will be very bad.
I shave my head, so a lot of Japanese people tell me I look like Bruce Willis. They are incorrect. I do not.
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Gurukun
Muscular?
Yeah, okay....whatever.
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seeker1
Will it be an American corporation in Tokyo this time?
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NeoJamal
Who is Japan's Alan Rickman?
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rajahsahib
you cant find any NEW ideas ????
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cadmium
Who'll play that twinkie-eating fat cop? Will the evil guy be a German guy this time? Or some other nationality?
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borscht
Sounds more like an episode of 24. And are they going to mention the 'massive bomb' could be a, er, cough cough nuclear weapon cough cough?
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ironchef
i'm looking forward to it. I'd rather see an action movie than the numerous romantic ones they keep showing.
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655321
Just watch the real Die Hard. Can't go wrong with it. Classic.
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nylex4
can we safely assume that the terrorist threat will involve foreigners?
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Sarge
"Who is Japan's Alan Rickman?"
They should get one of the Kameda brothers to play Hans.
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softtako
wasn't the president of the company in the 1st one japanese? they should have a gaijin play one in this movie.
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space_monkey
you know what....i am going to watch Diehard again right now.
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thepro
lol
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paulinusa
I don't like scary movies!
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gogogo
Modeled on 24 as well it seems.
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bamboohat
Was this guy busy?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIE3dIzypXI
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stereoman
The bad guy would have to be Japanese- if for nothing else, just to have back and forth dialogue over the walkie-talkies.
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Judyboots
You mean just like the original?
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Sarge
"Who'll play that Twinkie-eating fat cop?"
They should get that guy who does the Zen-Mall ads and is constantly stuffing his face on various shows to play Powell.
Who'll play Argyle?
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tmarie
Muscular?
Yeah, okay....whatever.
Why the hate? He's in great shape. A huge surfer, speaks English and went to uni in Hawaii. I love him.
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Sarge
They should get Koyuki to play his wife.
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Fadamor
In the original, the building involved was owned by Takamichi Incorporated. So it this one going to be owned by Johnson & Johnson?
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bamboohat
Wow. They are going to film this TV movie in, what, one to two months?
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thepro
It's a made for TV cheapo production. It'll probably be all done within a couple of days.
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KingRat
To create something like Alan Rickman in Die hard is hard.
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LoveUSA
I see something positive, Kenji Sakaguchi is better looking than Bruce Willis.And maybe better in martial arts.
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paulinusa
Hate to spoil the surprise ending: Muscular Gojira steps in to save Tokyo again.
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Sarge
"To create something like Alan Rickman in Die hard is hard."
True, dat, only Rickman can say stuff like "I'm going to count to 3" and "Shoot the glass!" like he does.
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tenguleavings
It was Nakatomi Incorporated, no doubt an early predecessor of Weyland-Yutani.
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Fadamor
Ach! My second choice was "Nakamichi"... closer but still wrong. I stand corrected.
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Gurukun
No hate. Just no 'muscular' either.
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Sasoriza
Marty plays with Akebono, Sakaguchi =(?)Bruce Willis...And I thought I'd have to wait until 2012 for the end of the world as we know it...
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Sarge
Who's going to play Det. Dwyane T. Robinson?
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wanderlust
What about the two racially diverse FBI guys, Johnson and Johnson? Who will play them?
And will Tokyo allow them to whoop it up in a couple of Huey slicks, flying at lamp post height down Ginza or Roppongi Dori?
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genkicat
yummmmmmm:P
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hellhound
Nice but they need a guy to play Bruce Willis. This must be a mistake.
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movingtokyo
He speaks English? Fruentry? anyone seen/heard/ witnesses?
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LinaOrchid
Sakaguchi is a hotie, cool and i bet this is going to be really good movie. Looking forward.
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