Kippei Shiina and Kyoko Fukada star in stage-to-screen film “Renai Gikyoku”

by Chris MaGee

While the number of films in Japan which are based on manga or popular TV shows have gone through the roof there are a number of films that have been produced in the past few years which have been based on stage plays. Hideaki Hosno's "Donjû" was based on a play by screenwriter Kankuro Kudo, Masanori Tominaga's upcoming "Ranbou to Taiki" is based on a play by Yukiko Motoya and Hideo Nakata's soon to be released English-language thriller "Chatroom" is based on a play by Enda Walsh. Now there comes word from Nippon Cinema about another stage-to-screen adaptation.

Shoji Kokami has not only penned the screenplay of his play “Renai Gikyoku”, but the 51-year-old playwright will also be directing the film adaptaion of it. The film will star actress Kyoko Fukuda as a female TV screenwriter named Mayumi who is suffering crippling writer's block. Actor Kippei Shiina stars as a TV producer who is assigned to help her get her creative juices flowing again. Little does he know that this means Mayumi will demand that he fall in love with her. Throughout this romantic comedy Fukuda will portray three different facets of Mayumi's character.

Look for Shoji Kokami's "Renai Gikyoku" to hit Japanese theatres on September 25th.