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Brett Ratner to direct Live Action SAMURAI JACK movie!!!!
Hey folks, Harry here... Variety is announcing that Brett Ratner has a deal to direct a live action version of SAMURAI JACK!
Ok, now for anyone who as even blinked at that masterful animated series on the Cartoon Network, you know that first and foremost it is about mythology and motion. Plot tends to take a back seat to the eternal quest to defeat AKU.
The second I saw that pilot, I knew this was going to be a movie. It just screamed to be done. The thing is, there is an inherent ANIMATED quaility to the show... the epic one against thousands type of imagery is key to the animated show. To translate this to live action, you need that same energy and endless sense of... OHMYGODHEISSCREWED!!!! That you get from an episode.
The hardest part about a Live Action SAMURAI JACK is finding the new young asian Toshiro Mifune. I watch tons of Hong Kong films, I don't believe I've seen him yet.
The script for this could be wondrous, with nearly no dialogue at all. Like CONAN THE BARBARIAN or the seemingly doome TO THE WHITE SEA by the Coen Brothers.
For NEW LINE to wrap up this property... is INCREDIBLY SMART. To further commit to the Fantasy Genre on an epic scale. To build an identity that is continuing to move in a cool and under-developed area by other studios. Now if only they'd get a JOHN CARTER OF MARS movie going with Peter Jackson. Ahem....
Hey... "Moriarty" here. Just to clarify, Michael Fleming actually mentioned that there are TWO films being developed by New Line. One will be animated, and the other will be live-action. Looks like Genndy Tartakovsky will be writing, as well, so at least it'll be faithful. Genndy's a busy boy these days. Deserves it, too.
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hmm should be interesting
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Just think how that will help sell the movie internationally! That reminds me, when I was a kid, a friend mentioned that there was a Marvel comic book(s) long ago about a hero (a robot?) that was imbued with some powers from every society and that was sent out as Earth's champion to, of course, save the world. I think the hero actually lost. I can't remember to whom. Galactus? Anyhow, I never did seek out and read that book(s). I think I'll do a web search for it now.
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The animation on Samuari Jack is so distinct, that it would be sorely missed in a live action version. I can't believe the creator of the show would let this happen. Make an Animated movie!!
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he's a little too gullible. He keeps letting himself be betrayed by supposed allies. I hope he's a little smarter in the live action version.
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I've never seen a movie more poorly directed than rush hour 2. I think Bret Ratner just sets the camera on a tripod in no particular position and says "ok now act in front of it." Fucking HACK!
Nothing makes me sadder that he is directing the new Silence Lambs and Samurai Jack. Ugh...
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Nov 20, 2001 8:19:28 AM CST
Harry.Why all of the sudden are you Brett Rattners bitch?
by spiderblood1969
Just kidding,Harry:)
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This could be cool. Remember, as little dialog as possible!
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C'mon Harry, you KNOW what they'll do: "Americanize" the character and hire Nicolas Cage to play him! "Young Toshiro Mifune"... tch!
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I love Samurai Jack, but am lukewarm about Ratner, but I'll bet he could pull it off. Nothing is ever going to be the way we all would prefer it. R rated, animated. For those of us with vision and talent, we just need to develop the ideas we have and strive to get them made. I have resolved not to have high expectations from American mainstream culture.
On to a Peter Jackson John Carter Warlord of Mars adaption...
Yes please! R rated, sex, violence, mold it after those f**king fanatastic Frazzetta paintings.
Yup, it will never happen, but it plays every night in my dreams. -
Assuming that all actors in the hong Kong industry are Chinese is a bit ignorant don't you think? There have always been Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, Thai, Malaysian, etc. actors simply playing Chinese you dork. In fact some of the biggest old-school stars were non-Chinese; Hwang Jang Lee(Korean), Billy Chong(Indonesian/Chinese),Tan Tao Liang(Korean/Chinese)Eagle Han Ying(Korean)The disgracful Dragon Lee(Korean)John Liu(Korean),The Venoms(Taiwanese)except for Lu Feng-Centipede and Chiang Sheng-Student(both Chinese),Yasuaki Kurata(Japanese),Yuko Mizuno(Japanese),Hitoshi Omae(Japanese)
to name a few. -
he's chinese BUT he has the size and build which is distinct AND he can act really well and has a ton of presence. Not to mention he can kick some ass. I think with the right role he could be big and maybe this is it. I just pray it ain't some hollywood type like Cage...
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I can't believe they haven't chosen the live-action route for that cash cow...though the animated movie is coming out in the summer. When I saw the "Arab-esque" type aliens in the episode last night, I thought to myself, I know somebody was like, we can't show this episode due for obvious reasons, but it was a good as hell episode(I think we all knew Ikira was Aku or his daughter or something when she appeared). Also, extremely abrupt ending for the two parter Justice League last night..should have ended with the shot of John Stewart destroying the planet, and the astonished reactions of the rest of the JL...fade to black.
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What is it that makes people think that nothing is legitimate until it's a live action 2 hour movie? That is not the only form of media, people! I will never understand the tendency to want to push everything from The Simpsons to Thomas the Tank Engine to LA Confidential into this same format. It's like listening to Exile on Mainstreet and thinking "man, that would be a great sculpture!"
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Animated movie? Yay... live action movie? Eh, the jury's still out on that. It's gonna be hard to grasp most of the uniqueness that the show has, but who knows... maybe lightning will strike and the attempt won't be a horrible abomination or something equally bad.
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IF they're intending to keep the same style/feel of the tv show. I've seen this show once or twice and it seems to me that you'd want a visually strong director to replicate what the show does with backgrounds and field of vision. Someone like Julie Taymor or Tarsem, not Brett Ratner. I'm not suggesting either of them for the job, just citing helmers who create, and feel comfortable working in, distinct environments for their films. A strong production designer can't do the job alone. Unless, of course, their intention is to make this a Jackie Chan vehicle, then Brett's the man. Either way, I bet he wants to make it "gritty."
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Just think of how cool the Superman movie was. I loved the way that the Sandman books used different art styles as one of its many, many ways of showing the multiplialities (facets of facets of facets) of Dream. It would totally make sense to have a live action Sandman movie. Of course, it's pretty easy to screw up live-action versions of comics and cartoons, so my hopes aren't super high for the live action Samurai Jack project. BTW, **SPOILER*** the feminine version of AKU that someone mentioned is pretty provocative. The idea that Samurai Jack could have kissed Mako/AKU is rather scary, kind of like the image of Patrick Swayze kissing Whoopie Goldberg in Ghost.
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Why take a semi-lame cartoon, and make it into a fully lame movie is anyones guess. But since we're just chicken shit talkbackers, and not hollywood super powers, I guess we'll never know?
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I love Samauri Jack, but have my doubts about this. SJ has a distinct visual style that maybe David Twohy could invoke. Look how well he did with Pitch Black. Lots o action, little dialogue. I can hear the groans now, but John Carpenter might also do well with this project. He has been known to have great pacing, good visuals and can do action...or he used to be able to do action. And can you imagine the soundtrack??? Hey Carpenter, this might be your chance to redeem yourself. Lord knows you need the karma points. BTW, Mako definitely needs to voice Aku, real, animated or otherwise.
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Takeshi Kitano should play Jack's father.
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I haven't watched the show but from what I've read here, I think Samurai Jack should be played by Takeshi Kaneshiro. This handsome Taiwanese/Japanese actor was in Wong Kar-wai's CHUNGKING EXPRESS and FALLEN ANGELS. And I heard he speaks English, too. He's Toshiro Mifune of our time.
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To the guy who said that making live action versions of cartoons is a cool idea: First off, the two examples you give , superman, and sandman, are comic books. Supes has tons of cartoons, but the soursce material really is acomic. your second exampe is weaker, considering not only is sandman not a cartonn, it hasn't even been made yet.
to get back on topic, why don't any of these hollywood geniuses ever get the fact that the reason we love these things so much is that they are cartoons, that animation is something inherent to the value of the world created by geniuses like tartakovsky or walt disney. What's worse is that fanboys are so hungry for the "legitimacy" that live action adaptions gives animated material in the mainsteram is a fallcy, and hungering for this "legitimacy" sucks the soul out of cartoons. w love jack because it is animated, don't be ashamed of that, and before you clamor for a live-action endeavor that would suck the very essence out of what makes samurai jack so special (or dexter's lab...) think of it this way: Do you want alive-action pinnnochio that would mimic disney's design and visuals, with some child actor in the lead? would you want a live action akira? A live action disney-styled snow white with jennifer love hewitt in the lead.
KEEP JACK ANIMATED! -
I have to say, I'm humbled by the knowledge AICNers have re: Asian Cinema. Haven't seen SamJ or any of Ratner's movies and I don't know half the names that've been dropped here, but it all sounds good to me. No Russell Wong though. They need to do a wide talent search and find a kickass Asian good with a sword.
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How can the same guy go on and on about the horror of screwing up the awful, awful Scooby Doo license in a live action adaptation, then turn around and praise the plan to try to create an awful bastardization of a groundbreaking work of animation?
In a sea of bad ideas mentioned on this site, this is one of the very worst I've seen to date. -
Nov 20, 2001 2:03:14 PM CST
I actually agree that live-actor adaptations are disasters waiti
by eraser_x
but just think how cool the payoff would be if someone manages to pull it off! Gotta have hope, gotta have imagination. Samurai Jack itself is a New World cartoon that crosses many boundaries, cultural, visual, whatever. If it could cross a medium boundary, too, that would be a real achievement. It's just **too** easy to poo-poo everything as a talkbacker, and I certainly do that, too. :-) By the way, I'll give you extra rope with which to hang me by saying that I think one example of a property with cool live-action **and** cartoon incarnations is Beetlejuice. (I've only seen a couple of episodes of the cartoon, but they were great.) If everyone listened to naysayers, lots of cool shit would never have been created.
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please leave this alone! SJ's look will never really be duplicated in live action. and even a fantastic CGI Aku would look stupid next to some actor in make-up. just double the production of regular episodes or put it on network tv or just make ANIMATED MOVIES! what a concept.
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Nov 20, 2001 3:28:47 PM CST
BRET RATNER DRINKS SAMURAI JACK DANIELS AND CHEETS ON HIS WIFE!
by deadfiller
:::jumps on the bandwagon:::
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This movie needs to be made in HonG Kong, Taiwan (sp) Japan, etc.. Where there is very limited constraints, and the crew have a better understanding of this subject matter. You need a director and actor and writer who are not afraid to push the boundires, who are not afraid to have their hero get cut up. Jack can't come out of this untouched ala Nic Cage heros. Beautiful fights scenes, breathtaking visuals, good deep story, these are things that American Cinema can't do as good as our Asian counterparts. If it HAS to be live action, it can't be done with an American Crew. Brett Ratner (not saying he's horrible) is no Tsui Hark. Let the pros handle this one.
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Hong Kong? Toshiro Mifune? Last time I checked he was Japanese. I think when looking for the next great samauri warrior you should be searching out in Japan. That, Harry, is why you won't see him rubbing elbows with Jet Li.
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Nov 20, 2001 4:01:18 PM CST
Live Action - The ONLY way to get a Samurai Jack movie into (Nor
by kiyone
As Samurai Jack still hasn't made it to Canadian TV, I haven't seen it, so I have no opinion as to whether or not a live-action film could do the show justice. But I can say with some degree of certainty that an animated Samurai Jack film would go straight-to-video, as, from what I've read about it here, Samurai Jack is not a cartoon for kids, and "adult" animated films fare very poorly at the North American box office. (North American Box office totals: Final Fantasy: $36.1 million; Titan A.E.: $22.7 million; the PG-13 Atlantis: $83.8 (poor for a Disney film). Source: Box Office Guru.) The only exceptions, in recent years, were the Beavis and Butthead and South Park films, which had built-in audiences from the TV shows, but these were only moderate successes in that they made back more money (Domestic B.O.: B&BDA $63 million; SPBL&U $52 million) than the studios spent on production, advertising & prints. Okay, Samurai Jack also has a built-in audience from the TV show, but it's a cult audience much smaller than South Park probably nowhere near the critical mass required for the film to be profitable in theatres. Plus, Samurai Jack is an animated action-adventure type show, not an animated comedy (from what I've read, remember I've never seen it myself), which is another strike against it. And there aren't any big celebrity voices. The sad truth is that the mainstream filmgoing adult audience not previously familiar with the Samurai Jack show would be much more likely to watch a live action Samurai Jack film than an animated one. If you want to see an animated Samurai Jack film, it would have to be straight-to-video or straight-to-cable, where New Line wouldn't have nearly the same amount of overhead costs as if they'd release it to theatres. Anime News Network had an excellent editorial on the mainstream audience's aversion to "mature" animated films at http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/archives/editorial/finalfantasy.php (The only thing I disagree with in the piece is that I wouldn't call SHREK and "adult" film; it was a kid's film with a lot of bones tossed towards the adult audience.) ____________________ Steve Brandon
Kiyone_Mabi@galaxypolice.com -
You'll dig it the most.
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'Nuff said!
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Samurai Jack is a blatant animated rip-off of the Frank Miller comic called "Ronin". Sure, it looks cool and has a cool concept, but it is so obviously stolen from Miller. On that topic, I am very much looking forward to the new Dark Knight graphic novel from Miller and Varley. Check out previews of it on www.dccomics.com
Oh, and the idea of Peter Jackson doing a film version of John Carter, Warlord of Mars..hell, yeah! Jackson is our new cinema hero. LOTR should open doors for him doing other great SF and Fantasy classics on film. Whoever said they should model the look of the film after Frazetta's artwork was dead on target. Anyway, enough said for now. Flame on! Barron out. -
That's just my opinion. I hope to God that they keep his ethnic look cause hey I don't know about you but a white or black samurai is just well fucking sad. (dolph lundgren anyone). I do like the idea of making it live action but I think New Line should put some trust in someone else to direct like Wo Ping better yet someone who is insane like Miike. I love Samurai and I don't care where the ideas or who they stole it from just show it some respect and make a damn good enjoyable film. live action or Animated!!
p.s. How's that Bruce Lee Project coming along?! -
...the key word is 'YOUNG' Toshiro Mifune. Just have to wait until 'Kill Bill' to see this guy back in action.
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he is a brotha....;)
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Darth Vader is also a brother!
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I'm all for some live action samurai slashing but I don't think that this is the right character to do. Also I think that it is important to use a japanese actor. Using Asian people from other countries just adds to the "they all look alike" stereotype. There is a difference and people need to be educated. I am Japanese a very proud of my heritage, my girlfriend is Chinese and proud hers also.
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I'm all for some live action samurai slashing but I don't think that this is the right character to do. Also I think that it is important to use a japanese actor. Using Asian people from other countries just adds to the "they all look alike" stereotype. There is a difference and people need to be educated. I am Japanese a very proud of my heritage, my girlfriend is Chinese and proud hers also.
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and it sucked! I don't see a good movie coming from this 2-D, plotless cartoon.
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I think a lot of Samurai Jack's appeal is due to its distinctive visual style and pacing, which would be hard to translate to live action (the background painters are gods!) BTW, I think a live action Powerpuff Girls might be good. I'm visualizing a six-year-old little girl throwing a car around like the guy in "The One" was flipping motorcycles. I like it!
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that show rocks.i saw the premier at comic con and it was packed! i could barley get in.a live action movie would be weird since his voice is so cool but its done by a black person (phil lamar) and jack is white. if they screw hs voice so its sounds like jacky chan,i will riot
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six string samurai rules.dont talk trash about that!
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that show rocks.i saw the premier at comic con and it was packed! i could barley get in.a live action movie would be weird since his voice is so cool but its done by a black person (phil lamar) and jack is white. if they screw hs voice so its sounds like jacky chan,i will riot
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"Plot tends to take a back seat to the eternal quest to defeat AKU." yeah, if this summer has taught us anything, it's that we need more plotless movies. I hope this never, evvvverrrrr gets made. Oh, and comparing Genny Tartakovsky (or however you spell it) to Walt Disney is like comparing Fred Durst to Freddie Mercury.
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Sorry if I offended but to me SSS was like an old ep of the Pacman cartoon complete with Mezmaron and everything! After hearing all the hype on AICN I searched high and low for the video and eventually had to purchase it from Suncoast. Well done for a bunch of kids playing around but just really goofy. Which is how I see Samurai Jack turning out as a live action.
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people are ridiculous. i don't watch tv, so i don't know what samurai jack is other than what's been said on this page, but listen to yourselves. "um, young toshiro mifune? umm, sorry charlie, but he's CHINESE and not JAPANESE, so i think you're mistaken, mister." maybe harry mentioned toshiro mifune because he plays a great samurai, which the flick would seem to call for. not an actual great samurai, but a fucking actor that is believable as a samurai, and can pull the part off well. i mean, what the fuck? that's like saying "dicaprio can't play an irishmen in gangs of new york because he's not irish, scorsese's dumb." relax, boys. something else ridiculous: "he's a richboy, he can't direct shit, he's no starving artist, fucking hack." keep in mind these aren't necessarily exact quotes, but common enough. now, i'm not defending ratner here because i've never seen one of his movies, but it seems ridiculous to say he sucks because he's a rich boy, fuck you mister nyu trust fund kind of talk. its a common thing and i don't understand how financial disposition has any effect on talent. especially in filmmaking, because its so fucking expensive to begin with. and gritty life experience doesn't really play a major factor when working with actors and setting up shots. what i'm saying is, financial background doesn't make a difference. also, starving artist doesn't equal good. i mean, christ, i'm a starving artist, it doesn't take much, nor does it mean anything. talent or lack of talent, that's all that really matters in the long run. blah blah blah
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...from what I've read here it sounds like this movie should be done like those wonderful LONE WOLF WITH CUB movies. Anyone else seen those?
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Brett Ratner...Asia...sounds a little like the formula for Rush Hour doesn't it? He'll probably find a way to work Chris Tucker into the script. It'll just suck big time.
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Nov 21, 2001 6:19:17 AM CST
Baron34 Is Right. SAMURAI JACK Is Frank Miller's RONIN...
by buzz maverik
I hope Miller sues for millions and doesn't sell out to preserve his film career, since he doesn't have one and never will.
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Nov 21, 2001 6:30:59 AM CST
What FUCKING sign was Ratner born under! Why don't they give
by cruel shoes
He's been handed the most cake gigs that will make money REGARDLESS of director. How the fuck do you get in that position? Tell me Michael Bay? Tell me!
Gee I wonder if the Remake of Red Dragon starring Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter will be a success? Of course it will. And then he'll be handed Spiderman 2 and will "amazingly" make that one a success. Then he'll be handed a movie in which Natalie Portman plays a stripper and "somehow" his talent will pull that one to monetary success.
And his name is Brett, how can ANYONE take him seriously?
adw -
God let's all pray this movie gets the proper respect. Also does Lisa Ling know about this?! She's not a fan of Asian sterotypes! I guess that what happens when you hang out with Barbara Walters. I say let the shit hit the fan and go all out on this film. Hell AKU should be shown in human form (Mako) and as a bad ass CG Demon (Mako). Oh well that's my opinion. Before I go is it just me or does Phil LaMarr sound like George Takei?! SPOOKY!!! Snoogans!
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I have no idea what he sounds like, I have no idea if he can handle action scenes, and I've only seen him in Godzilla 2000 (and I'm not 100% I've got the right guy) but he looks just like Samurai Jack.
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I dint realize jack was that big of a hit. If they do it right it could be pretty badass. Thats what America needs a good samurai movie. Akira Kurosawa Kicks ass.
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Talk about overrated. Like I enjoy watching an uneducated white man's interpretation of an asian culture. Nuff said.
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You seem not to realize that Samurai Jack does not in any way make use of Oriental culture, feudal or otherwise, except for the samurai dilly-o. It is set in a future society completely set apart from the Earth we know. And where do you get the idea that the scriptwriter is "uneducated"? Do you have college/high school records to prove it?
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Ratner embodies all that is wrong with the filmmaking business: Talentless and successful as hell. Arrogant and beloved. Simple minded and a genius.
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As far as i can tell with Jackie and ratners BIG succes with he movie Rush Hour 2 one can only hope that Samuri Jack will be portrayed back Jackie Chan
THIS HAS BEEN A SNOOGANS SALUTE
SALUTE -
Though I don
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They never would, but they should totally get Takeshi Kaneshiro to do Jack. He did an awesome job as Samanosuke in Onimusha (looks exactly like his CG form) and he's got that quiet but tough attitude...
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