The full trailer for “Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo,” the Hollywood-Japan crime thriller starring Shun Oguri (小栗旬) and Lily James, has been released on YouTube, and its theme song has been confirmed as “Raven Sky,” a new single from Ado.
Directed by Takashi Miike (三池崇史) from a script by Daisuke Tengan (天願大介), the film follows Kyoji Yabuki, a corrupt detective dogged by rumors that he killed his own partner, as he investigates a string of ritualistic murders targeting yakuza. At the same time, FBI agent Nguyen arrives in Japan to search for the missing daughter of the incoming U.S. president. What initially look like two unrelated cases turn out to be tangled together in the city’s underworld, with Oguri and James playing the mismatched partners at the center of the investigation.
The cast also includes Shotaro Mamiya, Liv Morgan, Shuhei Nomura, Nanase Nishino, Yuka Mukai, Takahiro Iwata, Keisuke Watanabe, Hideo Nakano, Jun Murakami, and Ryu Kunimura, with Hiroshi Tachi in a special appearance.
The trailer features flashes of graphic violence, a car chase, and gunfights, along with a preview of Ado’s “Raven Sky.” Miike praised the track, saying, “Thank you for this beautiful song that will paralyze the entire world… I’ll try a little harder too.” Producer Naoaki Kitajima said the U.S. and Japanese teams unanimously chose Ado because the project “absolutely needs a theatrical release in North America” and required “an artist who can fight overseas alongside us.” He added that Grammy-winning producer Takumi joined the production team for “Raven Sky,” and that the goal was a song powerful enough to keep audiences of any nationality in their seats through the end credits, something international viewers are notorious for skipping.
“Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo,” which already held its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, opens in theaters nationwide in Japan on October 23. Sony Pictures Entertainment is distributing the film in Japan, with NEON handling its North American release.
Who is Shun Oguri?
Shun Oguri is a veteran Japanese actor and director best known internationally for playing the title role in the live-action “Rurouni Kenshin” film series, alongside a long list of Japanese television dramas and films spanning two decades.
Who is Ado?
Ado is a Japanese singer who rose to fame with her 2020 breakout hit “Usseewa” and voiced the singing pirate Uta in “One Piece Film: Red.” She performs without revealing her face, and “Raven Sky” marks her latest push into international film soundtracks.
Author’s Comment
A Hollywood-Japan crime thriller directed by Takashi Miike, starring a Rurouni Kenshin and a Cinderella, with an Ado banger over the end credits — I honestly can’t tell if this is a masterstroke of marketing or just what happens when three different countries’ film industries throw money at the same yakuza movie. Either way, the producer straight-up admitting the whole point of the song is to stop foreigners from bolting for the exits during the credits is the most honest quote I’ve read all week. Mark my words, Ado’s going to end up scoring half of Hollywood’s action slate before this decade’s out.
