SEGA’s global hit game, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, is being turned into a live-action series, which will be landing on Amazon Prime Video in autumn.
The new series, comprising six episodes, will be an adaptation of the hit action-adventure game, but will have an original story.
Set in two time-periods – in 1995 and 2005 – the series will follow two childhood friends whose lives are affected by the actions of Yakuza warrior Kazuma Kiryu (the Yakuzas are a gangster-style organisation, Japan’s Mafia). Further details about the plot will follow later.
Japanese filmmaker Masaharu Take, who made the acclaimed 100 Yen Love (2014) and We Make Antiques (2018), will be directing the new series, and actor and model Ryoma Takeuchi, who played the lead in Japanese superhero franchise Kamen Rider, will play protagonist Kiryu.
The screenplay has been written by Sean Crouch (Wolf Pack) and Yugo Nakamura (New Masters Of Flash).
“I have poured out my heart, soul, and the experience that I have garnered over 35 years into Like a Dragon: Yakuza,” said Take. “The unbridled passion, talent, and countless hours of efforts [sic] from the entire team have helped bring this spectacular story to life.”
Takeuchi said: “I am truly honored to be given the opportunity to play the role of Kazuma Kiryu, a beloved character and the game series. Audience [sic] will enjoy the show's human drama and conflict that unfolds around Kazuma Kiryu.”
The Japanese role-playing video games of SEGA’s Yakuza franchise work as a stand alone crime-dramas, as players traverse a fictional district of a city, Kamurochō, which is modelled on Tokyo’s red light district Kabukichō, often focusing on Kiryu’s life.
Over the 19 years since the first Yakuza game was released, the series has become a global hit: Yakuza: Like a Dragon was released in January 2020, and had sold 450,000 copies by March. The most recent game, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, was released earlier this year: read our review here.
