Film 'Dead Man's Wire' to be released in Japan on July 17; Long trailer released

Based on the extraordinary true story of a man who held a hostage and himself at gunpoint, rigged with a wire and shotgun for 63 hours.

KADOKAWA has announced the Japanese theatrical release of the film 'Dead Man's Wire' for Friday, July 17.

Claiming he was defrauded of his assets by a real estate investment company, a man breaks into the company, takes an executive hostage, and rigs both his and the hostage's necks with a shotgun and wire. Using a device called the "Dead Man's Wire" that would automatically fire if moved, he holds his ground in a situation where even the police cannot approach. As the man demands an apology and compensation, and begins engaging in abnormal behavior such as media appearances from the scene, the public starts to sympathize with the perpetrator. While the police prepare for a raid, the perpetrator and the president finally speak on the phone.

Directed by master filmmaker Gus Van Sant, known for the Academy Award-winning 'Good Will Hunting' (1997), 'Milk' (2003), and 'Elephant' (2003), which won the Palme d'Or and Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival. The protagonist, the real-life perpetrator Tony Kiritsis, is played by Bill Skarsgard of the 'IT' series. The hostage, Dick, is played by Dacre Montgomery of the Netflix series 'Stranger Things'. Carey Elwes from 'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One' plays Detective Grable, who is in charge of the case. Maika Monroe, whose film 'They Will Kill You' is forthcoming, plays Linda, a local TV reporter covering the case. Colman Domingo, the Academy Award-winning actor from 'Sing Sing', plays Fred Temple, a popular radio DJ caught up in the incident. Furthermore, the distinguished actor Al Pacino plays the real estate company president, M.L. Hall, bringing together a spectacular cast. The film had its world premiere at last year's Venice International Film Festival to great acclaim, and upon its US release in January of this year, it recorded a 92% fresh rating on the major US film review site "Rotten Tomatoes"!!

In the long trailer released this time, the overview of this strange incident is depicted with tension and black humor. It begins with a scene where Fred, an Indianapolis radio DJ played by Colman Domingo, receives a phone call from the perpetrator Tony (Bill Skarsgard). While it shows Tony being cornered while holding the hostage, it is unique that while Tony behaves recklessly, he utters words that make one feel his goodness here and there. Although one cannot help but chuckle at the lighthearted exchange of lines, the image of this "representative of the common people," an extraordinary criminal, is reported across the US by the media, and people cannot take their eyes off him. Can Tony really become a true hero? And the song used in the long trailer is Aloe Blacc's "I Need a Dollar." The straightforward title and powerful singing voice, as if expressing Tony's feelings, dramatically heighten the tension of the incident.

Many classic songs appear as very important elements of the direction in the film. Taking advantage of the position of Fred Temple (Colman Domingo), who plays an important role in the incident, as a DJ, the film features many classic songs that colored the 60s and 70s, introduced through Fred's thrilling bass voice. When Tony is heading to the scene of the crime, he listens to the car radio and gets hyped up by Deodato's "Also Sprach Zarathustra," a bold jazz-rock arrangement of Strauss's symphony, famous for being used in "2001: A Space Odyssey." Also, in the scene where Tony steals a police car and tries to escape with the hostage, Ravi Shankar's "Cannock Chase," also used in the ending of "Sentimental Value," plays lightly. Furthermore, many classic hits are lined up, such as Grammy Award-winning singer Roberta Flack's "Compared To What," Barry White's "Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up," whose associated albums and singles are said to have sold 100 million copies in total, the Queen of Disco Donna Summer's "Love to Love You Baby," the pioneering funk band Dyke & the Blazers' "Let A Woman Be A Woman - Let A Man Be A Man," and B.J. Thomas's "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." In the second half, Gil Scott-Heron's "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" plays, with lyrics that themselves satirize the incident.