The legendary comic "City Hunter", which has sold over 50 million copies, is being adapted into Japan's first live-action film on Netflix! Starring Ryohei Suzuki as Akira Saeba!

The legendary comic "City Hunter," which has sold over 50 million copies in total, will be adapted into the first live-action film in Japan on Netflix, and it has been announced that Ryohei Suzuki will play the lead role of "Saeba Akira.

The legendary comic "City Hunter" by Tsukasa Hojo, which was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1985 to 1991, sold more than 50 million copies in total and caused a huge boom.
In 1987, an animated TV series started airing, and it became a blockbuster hit series that culminated in a TV special broadcast in 1999.

⇒ The long-awaited new "City Hunter the Movie" is now in production! Comments from Tsukasa Hojo, Akira Kamiya, and Tetsuya Komuro and a movie have arrived!

The comic was published in Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Poland, etc. The animation movie "City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes" was released in 2019 and became a huge hit, grossing over 1.5 billion at the box office.
The protagonist of the story is Saeba Akira, who is based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. He is an unparalleled lover of women and will make a fool of any beautiful woman he sees, but once he receives a request, he is a top-notch sweeper who uses his extraordinary gun skills and physical abilities, as well as his calm and collected mind, to get the job done. City Hunter," which incorporates comedy, hard-boiled action, a love story, and many other entertainment elements, has captured the hearts of many readers and continues to be loved not only in Japan but around the world.

The live-action version has been filmed in Hong Kong, South Korea, and France, but this is the first time it has been filmed in Japan, the country of its origin. The aim is to create a live-action version unique to Japan by filming in the actual Shinjuku district and taking advantage of the unique nuances of the Japanese language expressed in the original story. The story takes place in modern-day Shinjuku. The character settings have been slightly updated accordingly. Instead of wearing the jacket of the anime version, Jyou's costume has been changed from a stainless steel collar to a tie-locken coat, adopting the long coat of the original manga. In the photo released this time, Saeba Akira is depicted with his finger on the firing pin of his favorite Colt Python 357 Magnum, standing in the City Hunter's office with the night view of Shinjuku in the background. Set in Shinjuku in 2021, the story of Saeba Akira and his friends in the modern era is now set to begin.

In conjunction with this announcement, comments from the lead actor Ryohei Suzuki, director Yuichi Sato, and author Tsukasa Hojo have arrived.

Ryohei Suzuki, who will play the role of "Saeba Tsuyoshi," expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "I am trembling with nervousness" and "I will take good care of this film with love and responsibility. Tsukasa Hojo, the author of the original novel, also commented on his excitement and joy at Suzuki's lead role in this live-action adaptation.

Netflix, one of the world's largest video distribution services with 223 million paying members in more than 190 countries and regions, will present the new City Hunter, which is attracting a great deal of attention worldwide.

Comment

■Starring: Ryohei Suzuki
I am pleased to announce that I will be playing the role of the main character, Akira Saeba, in the Netflix movie "City Hunter.
I feel a great responsibility and am trembling with nervousness to be entrusted with this gem of a masterpiece created by Tsukasa Hojo and the character of Akira Saeba, who is loved by countless fans. Since I have decided to take on the role, I will devote all of my experience and devote myself to it with all my heart and soul. I will take good care of this project with great love and responsibility.
How can we make the world of "City Hunter" best enjoyed by the fans and even by the generations who do not know the original work? How can we summon a man named Akira Saeba as a real person in this Shinjuku of 2025? I am constantly thinking about the balance between fiction and reality, the 80s and the 2020s, as I work on the set.
I would like to deliver to you the cool, romantic, silly, chunky, and supremely cool City Hunter world with great care and respect.

Original story by Tsukasa Hojo
After 10 years of planning (laugh), we finally cranked it up. I had always wanted to have a "City Hunter" lover play the role of Saegusa if we were going to make a live-action film, and I got the idea that Ryohei Suzuki would play the role of Saegusa. It took a long time, but thanks to Ryohei's constant enthusiasm, I finally got to this day. I had the opportunity to see the filming and the atmosphere on the set was very congenial and fun, and the shooting was uncompromising down to the smallest detail. I felt that I was working with good actors and crew, which made me very much looking forward to the film. It may be a misnomer, but I would be happy if they could pursue realistic, cinematic fun without sticking to cartoonish expressions.

■Director: Yuichi Sato
Where did you hear about this? I am not sure, but I have known for quite some time that Ryohei Suzuki was a big fan of City Hunter. I have known for quite some time that Ryohei Suzuki was a big fan of City Hunter. I may have heard it directly from him.
With the help of the staff and cast, I would like to push forward together with everyone to create a wonderful "action (mokkori) entertainment".
I hope you will enjoy it.

Executive Producer / Shinichi Takahashi (Netflix Content Manager)
I have worked with Ryohei Suzuki in the past and was fascinated by his passion and dedication to his work, so I had a strong desire to work with him again someday. As someone who has been following the story of Akane and Kaoru through the original and animated films, I can't help but get excited just imagining what kind of mayhem lies behind Akane and Kaoru running through modern-day Shinjuku, with Ryohei playing the role of Akane Saeba. I can't hide my excitement just by imagining it. I am looking forward to working with Director Sato and the cast and crew to bring out the charm of the original "City Hunter," which is loved around the world, and to create a live-action version that has never been seen before.

(*Honorifics omitted, original text is in Japanese only)

Film Information

Netflix Movie "City Hunter
Original story: Tsukasa Hojo "City Hunter
Cast: Ryohei Suzuki
Director : Yuichi Sato
Executive Producer : Shinichi Takahashi
Producer : Keisuke Sanpei, Kosuke Oshida
Screenplay : Ryuro Mishima
Music : Otomo Yoshihide
Director of Photography : Motonobu Kiyohisa
Lighting : Kenichi Hamada
Sound Mixer: Masaharu Tanabe
Art Director: Kentaro Kosaka
Decoration: Chuo Kobayashi
Costume Design: Kumiko Ogawa, Shuhei Sakaue
Hair and Makeup Direction: Keisuke Sakai
Make-up: Eri Shiotani
Action Director: Mine Tanimoto
Scripter: Rie Fujishima
Location Manager: Hiroto Takeishi
Production: Netflix
Production: HORIPRO, Office Shirous
Original Cooperation: Coremix

Netflix Film Page : www.netflix.com/シティーハンター

2024 Worldwide exclusive distribution on Netflix