Koei reveals Akira Kurosawa-inspired project for the PS3

Today, Japanese video game publisher Koei announced its involvement with Oni, a forthcoming feature film based on a script by the late, legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. The film will mark the directorial debut of Akira Kurosawa's son, Hisao Kurosawa, who is completing the screenplay in partnership with producer Kou Shibusawa.

Koei will be developing a "historical action" video game to coincide with the film's expected 2006 release date. The game will be developed for the "next-generation successor to the PlayStation 2," and is expected to release at the same time as Oni's theatrical debut. Koei will also be charged with developing other media pertaining to the franchise, including "cellular phone content, character merchandise, music, portraits, and books." The Oni project has an estimated budget of 3 billion yen, or about $30 million. Revenues are expected in the realm of 10 billion yen, worldwide.

Notably, Hisao Kurosawa dabbled in games inspired by his father's work with Seven Samurai 20XX, a hack-and-slash action title published earlier this year by Sammy Studios.

Oni (which means "ogre" in Japanese) will be set in 16th-century Japan, and will focus on the trials and tribulations of a "blonde-haired samurai warrior [who] must discover his own destiny." Koei noted that the film will share common themes with Akira Kurosawa's classic works, such as The Hidden Fortress and Seven Samurai.

Kurosawa Productions, the company in charge of the film's creation, will be holding a public casting call for the film's hero and heroine beginning on November 1 of this year. For the male protagonist, Kurosawa Productions is seeking a male, aged 20 to 40, of at least 5 feet 8 inches in height and 155 pounds in weight. The individual is expected to be of Western origin or appearance. Details are less specific about the heroine's role, except that applicants should be between 16 and 22 years of age. Prospective applicants may find more information at Oni's official Web site. Production on the film is expected to begin in the summer of 2005.