Tomoe Gozen is known throughout Japanese culture as an iconic historical figure, whose relentlessness enabled her to become a fierce samurai warrior that led decisive military victories, even when outnumbered.
Writer and Producer, Koji Steven Sakai, is working on bringing Gozen’s story to global audiences via the film, Lady Samurai, which will star Chikako Fukuyama (Juror No. 2 & Blade of the 47 Ronin) as Tomoe Gozen.
Producer, Luna Zhang, and Mogul Productions will be spearheading the initial round of funding for Lady Samurai, which will follow a young Tomoe Gozen from her time as the daughter of a Lord’s servant to being captured and trained by pirates, all the way through her time fighting for the Minamoto clan during the Genpei War.
Given the recent success of shows like Shogun, Lady Samurai will serve as a fresh addition to the genre that depicts the tribalism and brutality of the early power struggles in Japanese history. Renowned for her expert bow and sword skills, Tomoe was a unique figure during an era of regular territorial disputes and power grabs. Despite serving her lord initially as a concubine, Gozen was as equally ruthless as she was a shrewd military strategist, occasionally taking the heads of the leaders of her rivals.
While Koji Steven Sakai has worked on a variety of diverse projects, he’s shown a personal interest in one-of-a-kind characters in addition to samurai lore and culture. His comic book, “Yasuke: The African Samurai”, is just one example of Sakai’s keen eye for original characters with compelling stories to tell. Lady Samurai will be yet another piece of work that allows Sakai to explore characters and themes close to his heart.
“For me, samurai and samurai culture is the epitome of cool,” Sakai said. “To be able to tell the story about the most badass fighter out there is just the icing on the cake.”
