Sony Pictures is seeing a lot of movement on their adaptation of the 2010 novel Maria Beetle by Kotaro Isaka as David Leitch boarded it recently to direct under the title Bullet Train. With some of the casting out there previously, the latest to board the project is Hiroyuki Sanada. Not surprisingly, Sanada’s part wasn’t revealed as that’s been the case for several in this ensemble. Sanada has a lengthy credits list behind him including the recent Army of the Dead project and the new Mortal Kombat.
Brad Pitt previously joined up for the lead which marks his first film commitment since winning an Academy Award for Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. Set for a planned fall 2020 filming period in Los Angeles, Joey King also previously joined the project for what would be her highest-profile theatrical film even if it does seem to be more of a cameo-ish kind of role in the project. King was recently seen in Kissing Booth 2 for Netflix which shot the third film at the same time that will be out next year. Andrew Koji is also a part of the film in the role of one of the four assassins. He’s set to be seen in the upcoming Snake Eyes film as Storm Shadow opposite Henry Golding. Masi Oka is boarding the film in an unknown role as well as Michael Shannon who was announced recently.
Leitch’s directing credits include John Wick along with Atomic Blonde and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. His film Nobody is in post-production set for a 2021 release while his other film Kate is also in post-production but not dated.
Ryosuke Saegusa and Yuma Terada of CTB Inc., who represent Isaka and the IP, are executive producers on the project.
Plot Concept: The novel story has five assassins finding themselves on a fast-moving bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka with only a few stops in between. They discover their missions are not unrelated to one another. The question becomes, who will make it off the train alive and what awaits them at the terminal station?
[Source: Deadline]
