Sony‘s upcoming Ghosts of Tsushima adaptation could get some serious star power as rumors swirl about Shōgun actor Hiroyuki Sanada joining the cast. According to industry leaker @DanielRPK, Sanada is in talks to join the cast of the Chad Stahelski-directed action film with a screenplay by Takashi Doscher. While there’s no indication of who Sanada would play in the live-action movie, fans suspect Sanada could play Lord Shimura, the uncle of the game’s protagonist, Jin Sakai.
While this is not a confirmation of Hiroyuki Sanada’s involvement in the Ghosts of Tsushima movie, it wouldn’t be the first time the Japanese actor teamed up with Chad Stahelski for an action showcase of epic proportion. Sanda played Koji Shimazu, the manager of the Osaka branch of the Continental Hotel, in Stahelski’s John Wick: Chapter 4. Sanada may be Stahelski’s first choice to star in the Ghosts of Tsushima movie, though we’ll need to wait for more details.
Elsewhere, Hiroyuki Sanada is reprising his role as Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion in Mortal Kombat 2, which will be released in theaters in 2025. Mortal Kombat 2 finds Simon McQuoid returning to the director’s chair for another tournament of champions with life-altering consequences on the line. 2021’s Mortal Kombat garnered decent reactions from fans, while critics said the action-packed adaptation failed to capture the feel of the beloved video game franchise. If McQuoid takes the criticisms to heart and adjusts the sequel to give audiences more of what they want, it could be one of 2025’s best action films. We’ll see.
Hiroyuki Sanada plays Yoshii Toranaga in the critically acclaimed drama series Shōgun. The binge-worthy series tells the story of a mysterious European ship stranded in a nearby fishing village discovered by Lord Yoshii Toranaga. The vessel holds secrets that could tip the scales of power and devastate enemies in an ever-evolving world.
Last year, Chad Stahelski expressed his desire to shoot Ghosts of Tsushima in Japanese with a Japanese cast. “It’s character driven. It’s got an opportunity for great action, great looks,” Stahelski said. “And honestly, we’d to try to do it, all in character. Meaning, it’s a Japanese thing about the Mongols invading Tsushima island. A complete Japanese cast, in Japanese. Sony is so on board with backing us on that. I’ve been going to Japan since I was 16. I have a love of the country, love of the people, love of the language. To try to direct not only in my language, but someone else’s and culturally shift my mindset to bring apart that in a cool way that still entices a Western audience.” American audiences have become more and more accustomed to subtitles over the years. While I understand that they aren’t for everyone, I hope Chad Stahelski can bring his vision to life with the Ghosts of Tsushima movie.
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