Sierra/Affinity Will Launch Matthew Fox Epic 'Emperor' at Cannes
UPDATED: Rising Japanese actress Eriko Hatsune stars opposite Fox in the World War II pic, set in post-war Japan; Peter Webber is directing.
Sierra/Affinity will shop Matthew Fox's historical epic Emperor, directed by Peter Webber, to foreign buyers at the upcoming Cannes film market.
Set in post-World War II Japan, Emperor also stars Tommy Lee Jones as the legendary Gen. Douglas MacArthur, while rising Japanese actress Eriko Hatsune has joined the cast as the female lead. Webber is currently shooting Emperor in New Zealand before moving the production to Japan in late March.
Fox plays Gen. Bonner Fellers, a member of MacArthur's staff and a leading expert on Japan. He's charged with reaching a decision of historical importance: Whether Emperor Hirohito should be tried and hanged as a war criminal.
Interwoven throughout the political saga is Feller's quest to find Aya Shimada (Hatsune), a Japenese exchange student he met and fell in love with years earlier in the U.S.
Emperor is a co-production between Fellers Film and Krasnoff/Foster Entertainment. Yoko Narahashi, Gary Foster, Eugene Nomura and Russ Krasnoff are producers.
"We are proud to be bringing a film of this caliber to the international marketplace. The talent of Peter Webber is already greatly apparent as he shapes this romance agains the backdrop of a pivotal period in history," Sierra/Affinity CEO Nick Meyer said.
In making its pitch, Sierra/Affinity will show buyers footage from the film.
Foster said Hatsune is a great addition to the cast of Emperor. "Eriko was a great discovery and she will be the perfect complement for our all-star cast and award-winning crew," he said.
CAA is selling the film in the U.S.
