For a lot of us watching the career of Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura is like breaking up with your favorite girlfriend. There was so much promise to the relationship. At first there were plenty of good times, thrills and laughs. But then things got stale in the relationship; you were doing the same thing over and over again. She would go on and on and on, just didn't know when to shut up. And then she dumped you for that asshole Hollywood cause he's got a shinier, newer car than you. She's a bitch but [sobs] you still love her man!
Well, Kitamura always wanted to go to Hollywood and make BIG movies and honestly there are few other Japanese directors who could have made that transition, let alone as easily as he did, and make hollow but kinetic action films that serve more as eye candy than anything else. If Lionsgate had handled Midnight Meat Train a little better and gotten Kitamura better exposure I don't think we would have waited this long for another studio to pick him up to direct one of their projects. He's exactly where he wants to be so we can only wish him the best and still think fondly on those years we shared together while With or Without You by U2 plays in loop. sniff sniff Here is what we know...
Gale Anne Hurd’s Valhalla Motion Pictures, Platinum Studios and Top Cow Productions have attached Ryuhei Kitamura to direct and Holly Brix to write Magdalena. Plot details remain under wraps, however what is known is the basic premise of the Top Cow comic of the same name, about the protector of the Catholic Church who is descended from Christ’s bloodline and wields the Spear Of Destiny as her weapon of choice. ScreenDailyJenna Dewan ("Step Up") and Luke Goss ("Hellboy II: The Golden Army") are attached to star. THR
I'd go to that church! Just what the 18 to 24 demographic needs, another hot chick with sharp pointy weapon movie. Meh, the three Underworld movies averaged high $90 million worldwide grosses on budgets of $30+ million. You don't have to be a brain surgeon...
With the recent announcement of Kitamura being attached to a film titled Teratoma, based on a script penned by by Jim Agnew and Sean Keller, the writers behind Dario Argento's Giallo and the rewrite on John Carpenter's upcoming thriller The Ward, things are picking up for him now.