Japanese Entertainment: From special effects actor to action superstar

Chapter 525 You really like rewriting scripts that much?

The arrival of the directing team indicates that the scriptwriting process is also fully supported.

In Japan, the position of director carries immense power, and given that Kinji Fukasaku is also a director, his words are undeniably significant.

As the cool autumn breeze blew by, the creative team gathered in Ikoma, a small Japanese city, to prepare for the final scriptwriting.

Ikoma's izakaya has been completely booked by Haruki Kadokawa today, and outsiders cannot enter freely.

In addition to director Kinji Fukasaku, the scriptwriter is Toshio Kenta, the producer is Haruki Kadokawa, the lead actor is Kenta, and the female lead is Hiroko Yakushimaru.

Everyone else, although they also came to the dinner, did not stay in this room, but instead mingled freely outside.

Shinji Fukasaku squinted, scrutinizing the small skewers in front of him.

so.

What the hell is this?!
At Fukasaku Kinji's age, he rarely had the opportunity to eat such strange and unusual things.

Gu Ming bowed slightly.

"It is a highly nutritious food, but the taste is somewhat unique and may not be acceptable to most people. Mr. Fukasaku, please be careful."

Fukasaku Kinji glanced at Tani Akira, raised the lantern in his hand, and took a big gulp.

At this moment, both Gu Ming and Yakushimaru Hiroko showed a look of anticipation.

In an instant, a truly fascinating expression appeared on Kinji Fukasaku's old face.

What the hell is this?!
Taking a bite is like swallowing a mouthful of phlegm—you can't bite it off, and it's impossible to suck it out properly; it's like phlegm stuck in your throat.

Fukasaku Kinji wanted to spit it out, but ultimately couldn't bear to give up his reputation as a renowned director, so he forced himself to swallow it.

He glanced across at the other side, where Gu Ming and Kadokawa Haruki were flashing their lanterns as if in a competition, and Fukasaku Kinji's worldview seemed to be greatly shaken.

This young man, holy crap, this young man.

Unbelievable.

Kinji Fukasaku was somewhat moved.

"But I really never expected that one day I would leave Tokyo and come to Nara to shoot a movie."

"Then we have to thank Mr. Furuya. Mr. Furuya is from Ikoma and he helped connect with the local area. The Ikoma City Hall is really bold to take over the equipment left behind by the dissolution of Daiei, which is how this film park was built. I heard that in the past year, more than a dozen movies and more than fifty TV series have come here to film and shoot."

Although most of them involve Japanese period dramas.

Since Nara is an underdeveloped area with well-preserved ancient buildings, it was definitely the first place to film.

Fukasaku Kinji bowed slightly, then looked at Tani Akira.

I've heard some strange rumors about this person, but in this respect, he's quite unexpected.

At least, Shinji Fukasaku didn't go back to his hometown and do anything.

Kinji Fukasaku took off his sunglasses and wiped away his tears.

I wasn't moved; I was choked by the sight of a lantern.

"Well, it's about time. We should talk about the scriptwriting. Mr. Kenta has already shown me the script, and I have some ideas."

Gu Ming then put down what he was doing, sat up straight, and looked at Fukasaku Kinji.

"All the characterizations of the eight warriors mentioned in the script need to be drastically revised. If we film according to the existing script, although it will be closer to the original work, the filming time will probably be more than four hours. The current theater chains do not support this level of screening."

"The first half of the film is too scattered. Although it is necessary to show the origin and life of the Eight Dog Warriors as soon as possible, the focus should still be on Princess Satomi. More scenes about Princess Satomi need to be developed. And if the protagonist is Inue Shinbei, then Shinbei's storyline also needs to be highlighted more."

Gu Ming suddenly spoke up: "However, if the Eight Dog Warriors' experiences are glossed over, then in the final film, the Eight Dog Warriors will actually be no different from eight ordinary people."

Shinji Fukasaku paused for a moment before speaking.

"That's true, but it's unrealistic. We can only select a few people with the most screen time to develop their characters, while marginalizing the others, just for the sake of the title."

Gu Ming said, "If we shoot two parts and tell the story in multiple films, it would be like Star Wars."

Kenjiro looked at Taniguchi with a swift glance.

He wrote both the original novel and the screenplay for "The New Eight Kendens of Satomi." If possible, he also hopes to make the film longer.

"It's a good idea, but timing is a big problem. If we shoot two parts one after the other, we'll need to be more careful with the production. It's best to tell the story in one movie."

Gu Ming stopped arguing. Actually, the movie Satomi Hakkenden was quite successful, so there was no need for him to say more. Although the movie had various problems, since it was a big hit in the original timeline of 1983, it probably wouldn't be too much different in this world's 1982.

Gu Ming's silence surprised Fukasaku Kinji.

Before he came, he had heard people say that Gu Ming was the kind of person who would fight with the director for the script during filming, but he didn't expect him to accept it so quickly this time.

"Finally, there's one more thing, which concerns the fate of the Eight Dog Warriors. After entering the Demon King's castle, as foreshadowed earlier, they all sacrificed themselves one after another..."

Gu Ming suddenly looked up: "That's true, but if the progress is too fast, won't it make these characters seem like they're lining up to die? Perhaps we should make some changes here."

Fukasaku Kinji：oO
At that moment, the eye that had been injured before started to hurt a little.

It's here! Industry rumors that Akira Furuya frequently rewrites scripts and even argues with directors about it, including Akira Kurosawa, are actually true!
Gu Ming also couldn't see through Fukasaku Kinji's inner thoughts. If he could, he would definitely cry foul right now.

He has participated in most of his works since entering the industry, so of course he can participate in scriptwriting.

At this moment, Gu Ming didn't care about that gaze and continued talking to himself.

"After her lover's death, his body was turned into a puppet. In grief, Shino Inuzuka committed suicide to take her lover with her. Genpachi Inukai discovered his true identity while in the enemy camp... These characters clearly have a lot of potential!"

Kinji Fukasaku took a deep breath.

Sure enough, it came!

Aren't all those actors from Akira Furuya's acting agency?
The plot is actually different from that of Nanso Satomi Hakkenden, because the movie is not an adaptation of Nanso Satomi Hakkenden, but a new version written by Toshio Kenta.

Therefore, even if some changes are made to the content, it won't be a big problem.

The group sat there and listened to Gu Ming recount the adaptation.

"Before the Eight Dog Warriors had even gathered, they were already in danger. It was thanks to Inukai Genpachi's secret assistance that everyone was safe. However, this character eventually died in the Demon King's Castle."

"Inuzuka Nobuno had a lover he deeply loved, but his lover was turned into a puppet and became his enemy, so they had to die together."

"As for the ending, Princess Satomi was always being captured and brought back, which makes one wonder about the purpose of this guy's existence. Rather than making it so complicated, let's simplify it. No one could use that bow and arrow effectively, but Princess Satomi was able to use it the first time she got it. However, the bow was also corrupted by Tamatsuyuki's sorcery. Finally, it was cleansed by the Eight Dog Warriors' Spirit Orb and unleashed its full power, sealing the sorcerer in one fell swoop."

Gu Ming clapped his hands.

With this modification, there's a lot more content that can be added.

Kinji Fukasaku did not argue, but slowly stated his thoughts.

"This change is good, but there's a problem: where should we set the important battles?"

"Two, no, three. Besides the various small battles that happen all the time, the most important one is of course the final battle at the Demon King's Castle. Here, the fighting will start from the very beginning and never stop."

"Secondly, there is the village battle. The battle that made Inuya Shinbei change his attitude, the battle that made Inukai Genpachi realize his true identity, and the battle in which Inuzuka Shino also joined the team. Such an important village battle deserves to be written about in detail."

Kinji Fukasaku remained silent, only tapping his knuckles on the table as his thoughts churned.

village.

Yes, many Japanese directors have their own unique perspectives on scenes like those in villages.

For example, this scene was depicted in detail in Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai.

The samurai's massacre of the villagers, the villagers' helplessness and their sudden rebellion, are all present in the Seven Samurai.

This film is not just a sword fight movie; it also bluntly tells the bloody reality of officials forcing the people to rebel.

In the Satomi Hakkenden, it was witnessing the samurai's massacre of villagers that Inue Shinbei, who originally intended to achieve great things, decided to abandon his dreams and return to the Hakken. Inukai Genpachi also realized he was on the wrong path after seeing the brutality of his comrades during this massacre.

In short, there is much to write about in such a scene.

If filmed well, even a commercial blockbuster can gain some depth.

As a commercially successful director, Kinji Fukasaku is well aware of the implications of this.

Commercial blockbusters are not without substance; in fact, many blockbuster films contain elements of humanistic concern.

"It seems that Furuya-kun really knows how to grasp the key points of the problem."

Kinji Fukasaku let out a long breath, having made up his mind.

"Let's change it like this. Next, let's write the script together, and then start filming!"

(End of this chapter)