‘Golden Kamuy’ Live-Action Film Unveils First Teaser Trailer, Official Release Date
As Credeus’ third live-action Kingdom film continues to the conquer the Japanese box office, the studio is preparing a second serving of historical fiction with their upcoming take on Satoru Noda’s Golden Kamuy.
On August 30th, over a year after the original manga concluded and the film was first announced, Credeus unveiled a delectable spread of new promotional material through the live-action Golden Kamuy‘s official website.
Set in Hokkaido – whose landscapes also served as a shooting location for the film – in the years immediately following the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, Golden Kamuy centers around the story of Japanese Imperial Army 1st division war veteran Sachi “The Immortal Sugimoto” Sugimoto (Kento Yamazaki – Shin in the live-action Kingdom film series).
Having survived the war, Sugimoto “The Immortal Sugimoto” Saichi now spends his days prospecting for gold in service of fulfilling his late comrade’s dying wish that he help his now-widowed wife afford a doctor who could reverse her failing eye-sight.
Resigning himself to days of endless toil, his fortunes suddenly change after local drunk Takechiyo Gotou reveals that the treasure of convicted murderer Noppera-bo – a stash of gold stolen from the region’s native Ainu people – is buried somewhere in the area.
However, the road to this treasure is not an easy one, as it can only be followed by connecting a coded map that Noppera-bo tattooed onto the bodies of 24 different convicts.
Shortly after learning this information, Sugimoto crosses path with Asirpa (Anna Yamada – Saichi Sagawa in Teen Regime), a young blue-eyed Ainu huntress whose father was one Noppera-bo seven victims.
Finding themselves with parallel goals, the duo proceed to team-up in the hopes of finding both the mysterious treasure and the man who murdered Asripa’s father.
Though Sugimoto begins their journey finding her a tense ally, Asirpa eventually comes to bond with her new partner by teaching him about Hokkaido’s landscape, hunting techniques, and the different aspects of Ainu culture – including their delicious cuisine.
Among the eccentric characters the duo encounter throughout their hunt is Shiraishi “Escape King” Yoshitake (Yuma Yamoto – Yusei Nishida in the Chihayafuru live-action film series), a fan-favorite prisoner who possesses the ability to easily dislocate any of his body’s joints and slip through through even the most narrow of jail cell viewing windows.
Ever desperate for his freedom, the robber stands vigilant against the chance that he may be caught again by hiding various tools he can use to make an escape – including needles, wires, and other dangerous items – across his body.
The duo’s hunt will also see them confront the remnants of the Japanese Imperial Army’s 7th division – or the “Hokuchin Unit” as the people of Hokkaido call them – the nation’s strongest unit and a vital contributor to their victory in the Russo-Japanese War.
Led by main series antagonist First Lieutenant Tokushirou Tsurumi (Hiroshi Tamaki – Tatsu in The Way of the Househusband The Movie), whose mind has been warped ever since a piece of shell shrapnel became lodged in his skull, the 7th division plans to use the gold to arm themselves with American weapons, thus allowing them to take Hokkaido by force.
Helmed by HiGH&LOW movie franchise director Shigeaki Kubo, Golden Kamuy will also feature the talents of the Kingdom live-action film series’ scriptwriter Tsutomu Kuroiwa and composer Yutaka Yamada.
The studio also enlisted the help of Golden Kamuy‘s Ainu language supervisor, Chiba University professor Hiroshi Nakagawa, and Ainu artisan Debo Akibe (who also appears in the film itself as Asirpa’s Great Uncle), to ensure the Ainu culture was properly represented on-screen.
Alongside the trailer, the official website also published a handwritten message from Noda himself, wherein the mangaka opened up about his first-hand experience visiting the set of Golden Kamuy.
“The live-action project has been in the works for so many years that my memory of it has faded, but thanks to the cooperation of not only the people who worked on the original story, but to the countless others who made the live-action adaptation of ‘Golden Kamuy’ possible,” he wrote (translated via DeepL). “As the author of the original story, I am extremely grateful and happy that it was possible.”
“I have experienced firsthand the love that everyone involved in the live-action project has for Golden Kamuy,” he continued. “I was personally interested in the props, but the Ainu folk tools and costumes were made by many traditional Ainu craftsmen, and Sugimoto’s type 30 rifle is something I would not be ashamed to display anywhere.
“And then there’s the exceptional cast,” Noda added. “I believe that once people watch the actual production, even fans of the original work will come to love the live-action version. Not just as the original creator, but as a member of the production team, I sincerely hope that many people will enjoy this live-action adaptation.“
Golden Kamuy‘s live action adaption hits Japanese theaters January 19, 2024, with a worldwide release date yet to be confirmed at the time of this writing.