WWE's Liv Morgan joins Lily James in Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo
WWE superstar Liv Morgan has been cast alongside Lily James and Shun Oguri in 'Anora' studio Neon's new film 'Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo'.
Lily James and Liv Morgan have been cast in 'Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo'.
The 'Yesterday' actress and WWE wrestler are joining forces on Neon's upcoming thriller - which is based on the original 1992 noir crime film 'Bad Liuetenant' - alongside 'Godzilla v. Kong' actor Shun Oguri.
As reported by Deadline, the film has been written by '13 Assassins' scribe Daisuke Tengan, who is reuniting with director Takashi Miike.
The film will follow the titular Bad Lieutenant (Oguri), who is a corrupt gambler in the Metropolitan Police Force.
He gets caught up in a messy case when an FBI agent (James) is in Tokyo to investigate the disappearance of a politician's daughter (Morgan).
They appear to be shadowed by a killer in the yakuza underworld, adding more tension to proceedings.
Neon - the studio behind the film - recently had Oscars success with 'Anora', which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, with their other movies including 'The Monkey', 'Longlegs', 'Parasite' and 'I, Tonya'.
Morgan (real name Gionna Daddio) previously appeared in 2023's 'The Kill Room' alongside Uma Thurman, Joe Manganiello and Samuel L. Jackson, and an episode of 'Chucky'.
Filmmaker Miike - whose credits include 'Audition', 'Dead or Alive' and 'Ichi The Killer' - has promised "unforgettable entertainment" from the upcoming project.
He said: "A team of incredibly talented actors and crew has gathered in Tokyo.
Now, I’m about to throw a fastball straight down the middle of your strike zone – no tricks, no gimmicks.
"I’m confident we are about to break through every limit, to create unforgettable entertainment. Get ready for the ride with us."
Producer Jeremy Thomas of Recorded Picture Company added: "We’re all delighted to reinterpret this iconic IP with a master filmmaker like Takashi Miike.
“We’ve produced 10 films in Japan, most recently 'Grand Maison Paris', which has grossed over $28M domestically, and it’s a fertile place to create and distribute films.
"I feel the time is right for this irreverent hybrid.”
And Sam Pressman, the CEO of Pressman Film, revealed his own special connection to the original movie, and described the project as "a dream come true".
He said: "Director Miike brings a fearless new vision to the Bad Lieutenant, a character defined by the auteur.
"Just as maestros Ferrara and Herzog delivered films as radically different as their own voices, Miike’s adaptation is unrelentingly wild and unique.
"My father Edward R. Pressman, always believed this story of corruption, both of police and the human soul, has a global resonance.
"To realise this next evolution now in Tokyo with Director Miike, NEON and my father’s lifelong friend Jeremy Thomas — all true believers in the power of independent cinema — is both an honour and a dream come true.”
