Japanese cult filmmaker Takashi Miike—the man behind cinematic fever dreams like “Audition”—is teaming up with… Jon Hamm?
Variety reports that Hamm and Andrew Koji will star in “Bullfrog,” a psychological thriller set in Tokyo. It's another step in Miike's English-language push. Hollywood has courted him for years, and with more than 100 films behind him, he might as well take his shot now.
“Bullfrog” isn't the kind of movie Hamm usually makes, but I welcome the change. He's still best known for his Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning turn as Don Draper in “Mad Men.” His more recent work includes “Mean Girls” and “American Hostage,” and he stars in the thriller “Cupid” next. I can’t say Hamm’s post-‘Mad Men’ movie career has been anything to write home about. His best work was in “Fletch,” “Richard Jewell,” “Baby Driver” and “The Town.” Only one of those (‘Fletch’) was a lead role.
“Bullfrog” comes right after “Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo.” That film was rejected by Cannes and then Venice before it finally had its world premiere at TIFF in September, to underwhelming reviews. It starred Shun Oguri, Lily James, and WWE's Liv Morgan, and it was the third film in a franchise that began with Abel Ferrara's 1992 original and continued with Werner Herzog's 2009 “Port of Call New Orleans.”
Miike has directed a whopping 114 films and TV productions. Almost nobody has seen all of them, and if you have, you're not just a completist—you're a madman. The essential Miike works came out years ago: “Audition,” “Ichi the Killer,” “13 Assassins,” and “Visitor Q.”
With “Bullfrog,” Miike is back in familiar genre territory. The film is set in a near-future Tokyo under lockdown. Koji plays a detective and Hamm a former FBI profiler, and together they try to track down a mysterious serial killer. Eric Jordan Baker wrote the script, and Nathan Ross and David Styen are the lead producers.
Of course, Miike has already directed another film, a Kyoto-set horror movie starring Charli XCX, Milly Alcock (“Supergirl”), and Norman Reedus (“The Walking Dead”). In it, three lifelong friends reunite in Kyoto, and their vacation turns to terror when Charli XCX's character is overtaken by a brutal, tormented spirit.
Miike doesn't plan to shoot “Bullfrog” until summer 2027, so stay tuned.
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