Terra Formars
Director: Takashi Miike
Writer: Kazuki Nakashima
Given his mindboggling output, it would be strange not to have a most anticipated list not featuring Japanese auteur Takashi Miike, who usually has several projects premiering during any given year. As far as we can tell, he only has one title scheduled for release in 2016, the intriguing Terra Formers, a live action manga adaptation which sounds an awful lot like Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers (1997). Humans deposit some moss and cockroaches on Mars in hopes of fostering an inhabitale environment for later use on the Red Planet. In the year 2599, they return to find a species of dangerous humanoid cockroaches. The production is the first Japanese film to shoot in Iceland. A cast headlined by Rinko Kikuchi (Babel; Pacific Rim) has us even more excited for what sounds like one of Miike’s most extravagantly gonzo creations yet.
Cast: Rinko Kikuchi, Rila Fukashima, Kane Kosugi, Takayuki Yamada, Emi Takei, Hideaki Ito
Producer: Hiroyoshi Koiwai
U.S. Distributor: Warner Bros. Entertainment (domestic/international).
Release Date: A release date of April 29, 2016 has been set for Japan. Seeing as Warner Bros. owns the rights, we’re certain this will eventually be released stateside, but will most likely be booked at genre festivals or genre programs such as TIFF’s Midnight Madness throughout the year.
