Jon Hamm (“Mad Men,” “Your Friends & Neighbors”) and Andrew Koji (“Street Fighter,” “Warrior”) are set to star in “Bullfrog,” a psychological thriller from cult Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike (“13 Assassins”).
Paris-based mk2 Films (“Minotaur”) has boarded international sales on “Bullfrog,” one of the hottest projects to hit the AFM. CAA Media Finance is handling North American sales and financing.
Set in a near-future Tokyo under lockdown, “Bullfrog” follows a Japanese detective (Koji) and a former FBI profiler (Hamm) as they track a mysterious serial killer in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game.
The film is written by Eric Jordan Baker and produced by Nathan Ross (“Big Little Lies,” “Sharp Objects,” “Dallas Buyers Club”) and David Styne (“Love Means Zero”). Japanese production company OLM will oversee production in Japan, with Misako Saka also producing. Principal photography is planned for summer 2027.
“Takashi Miike is one of the great provocateurs of contemporary cinema, and Bullfrog feels like a thrilling opportunity to see him at his most audacious,” said Fionnuala Jamison, managing director of mk2 Films. “Eric Jordan Baker has written a razor-sharp, wickedly dark thriller, and with Jon Hamm and Andrew Koji on board, we couldn’t be more excited to bring this extraordinary project to international audiences.”
Miike joins a roster of internationally acclaimed auteurs represented by mk2 Films, whose recent slate has enjoyed a strong run on the festival circuit. At this year’s Cannes, the company presented Andrey Zvyagintsev’s “Minotaur” which won the Grand Prize and is now France’s Oscar candidate; as well as Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo’s “Ben’Imana” which picked up both the Caméra d’Or and FIPRESCI Prize; and Marine Atlan’s “La Gradiva” received the AMI Paris Grand Prize at Critics’ Week. MK2 Films is also behind Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor’s “NAZA” which won the Special Jury Prize at Venice.
One of Japan’s most prolific filmmakers, Miike has directed more than 100 features and built an international cult following with his provocative approach to genre cinema. His films include “Audition,” “Ichi the Killer” and “13 Assassins,” as well as the Cannes competition titles “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai” and “Shield of Straw.” His upcoming projects include “Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo” and the untitled Kyoto project.
Hamm, who earned an Emmy and two Golden Globes for his portrayal of Don Draper in “Mad Men,” recently starred in “Your Friends & Neighbors” and appeared in “Top Gun: Maverick.”
Koji, whose credits include “Bullet Train,” “Boy Kills World,” “Snake Eyes” and Netflix’s “Black Doves,” will next appear in the fourth season of “Gangs of London.” He also stars in Legendary’s “Street Fighter.”