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[Oersted]

Yasuke lived in the mid-1500s, and history on his origins and exactly how he came to become a sword for a warlord named Oda Nobunaga is a bit fuzzy. Widen said what is known is that he was the only known African to reach that rank in feudal Japan, and it is a strong point of entry for a period action film that can build a compelling action narrative around history. It’s not Widen’s first hack at swordplay fare. He hatched the mythology and co-wrote the 1986 film Highlander, about the ageless immortal Scottish swordsman.

None of the Japanese had seen a black-skinned person before, and Widen said they initially tried to scrub him, believing the color would come off his skin. Yasuke, conflicted about the violence of his past when he got to Japan, embraced samurai culture and became a useful warrior for the warlord, Widen said. “He became a samurai warrior,” Widen said. “They presented him with a blade, and he went to work.”

More here

https://deadline.com/2017/03/lionsg...cript-film-on-first-black-samurai-1202049635/

Lock if old

 

[Killer Queen]

Black Samurai film sounds badass.

 

[Jarmel]

Afro Samurai?

 

[UnemployedVillain]

Afro Samurai?

But REAL

 

[spindashing]

YES YES YES

 

[RobotVM]

This sounds promising.

 

[Verano]

gonna wait for mexican samurai

 

[ShadowSwordmaster]

Sounds cool. As a person who is studying Japanese history this has my interest.

 

[Numb]

Bless

 

[WhiskerFrisker]

Nioh did it first.

 

[Negaduck]

I actually just learned about this historical fact rather recently. Could be super rad.

 

[ezekial45]

I've always wanted a movie about this. Hopefully they can do it right, though.

 

[KAOz]

Nioh did it first.

This is true. Since it's the same dude.

I fucking love Nioh.

 

[lightskintwin]

Nioh did it first.

There's a Black samurai in Nioh?

 

[buddha0991]

This could be cool if done well.

This is Nioh's depiction of Yasuke BTW

There's a Black samurai in Nioh?

Yasuke himself is in Nioh

 

[Sgt. Kabukiman]

Weird, I was reading about his original Highlander script just two days ago. I wonder when they'll finally reboot that.
Anyway this definitely sounds like great material for a film.

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

Yasuke is a fucking badass historical character. Oda Nobunaga himself made him a retainer and samurai because the Japanese had never seen an African before and his dark skin and height (reportedly around 6 foot back then) fascinated Nobunaga.

Its somewhat parading around Africans as a curiosity and property (whats the opposite of Orientalism?) but dude was a Samurai for Oda fucking Nobunaga.

 

[Sou Da]

Thanks, Nioh.

 

[Silvard]

Nioh did it first.

No it didn't. First, it's not about the story of Yasuke, he just shows up as a minor character. Second, it's not even the first game to feature Yasuke. At the very least Nobunaga's Ambition predates it.

 

[Brandon F]

Bring back the Forest!

 

[Unspeakable Evil]

Bronx-Man, post if you're OK.

 

[Avixph]

Bring back the Forest!

Too old, we need new blood.

 

[Sou Da]

Too old, we need new blood.

This Summer, Keith Stanfield is YASUKE

 

[Nudull]

A nice surprise.

 

[WhiskerFrisker]

No it didn't. First, it's not about the story of Yasuke, he just shows up as a minor character. Second, it's not even the first game to feature Yasuke. At the very least Nobunaga's Ambition predates it.

It was a joke.

 

[Veritigo_X]

Black Samurai
Starring Tom Hanks

 

[Not]

Congrats on the sell, BronxMan's tag.

 

[Vibranium]

The cool thing is because his origin and the end of his life are unknown it allows the movie a lot of leeway to create a narrative. Hope it can be good.

 

[Izuna]

I want this film to have a series ad campaign in Japan

#ThanksNioh

 

[BobTheFork]

Already sold.

 

[HStallion]

Black Samurai
Starring Tom Hanks

Emma Stone would be a more believable Yasuke

 

[Bronx-Man]

Finally, my story shall be told.

 

[molnizzle]

Finally, my story shall be told.

holy shit

 

[sphagnum]

People are going to think this guy is fictional and that it's all SJW propaganda and that's both funny and sad

 

[Kojirospath]

I'm imagining that one dude from Inception as Nobunaga. He'd be great for that role.

 

[Agent_ShortBus]

Finally, my story shall be told.

Lol

 

[Hagi]

Tom Hanks - First Black Guy in Japan

 

[D i Z]

It's about goddamn time.

 

[antibolo]

Hollywood will fuck it up and cast a white guy again.

 

[JonnyDBrit]

This could be cool if done well.

This is Nioh's depiction of Yasuke BTW





Yasuke himself is in Nioh

Funny enough back in the old thread debating why William Adams was chosen as the focal point character of the game, a small discussion was had on how the vagaries of Yasuke's life could lend itself to some cool possibilities.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=230067339&postcount=189

Nice to see someone in Hollywood agree with that general sentiment. I'd be in for a Yasuke film. Though, this line from the article did confuse me for a bit:

“[Black Samurai] is based on the true story of an African whose journey to Japan comes with conflicting background stories,” Widen said. “The one I’ve chosen is that he was a slave soldier after the fall of Abysinnian Bengal, a black kingdom run by Ethiopians."

As best as I can find, this is apparently a reference to a brief period in the Sultanate of Bengal where Abyssinian (Ethiopian) generals, previously in the service of the local Sultans, took over Bengal. Only lasted seven years though, and given the likely demographics of the wider population, calling it a 'black kingdom' seems a little odd.

 

[Garmonbozia]

Finally, my story shall be told.

 

[Fat4all]

will he have the Power of the Glow?

 

[ArchedThunder]

Yasuke's story has always been super interesting to me, I hope this turns out good!

 

[BlizzKrut]

This sounds quite interesting, can't wait to see what they do with this!

 

[Lonewolf_92]

Yasuke is a fucking badass historical character. Oda Nobunaga himself made him a retainer and samurai because the Japanese had never seen an African before and his dark skin and height (reportedly around 6 foot back then) fascinated Nobunaga.

Its somewhat parading around Africans as a curiosity and property (whats the opposite of Orientalism?) but dude was a Samurai for Oda fucking Nobunaga.

That would be occidentalism.

On topic, if there was one person I would trust with this, it would be the creator of Highlander.

 

[The Last Wizard]

Wait! There were Africans in feudal Japan?! Anyone know books or resources on this, would love to learn more.

 

[Ratrat]

Wait! There were Africans in feudal Japan?! Anyone know books or resources on this, would love to learn more.

Slaves brought by Portuguese.

 

[Wandering Robot]

If they do it right, it'll be totally badass.

 

[JonnyDBrit]

Wait! There were Africans in feudal Japan?! Anyone know books or resources on this, would love to learn more.

Not many, owing to the sheer distances involved - as mentioned it was primarily portuguese traders bringing them along as slaves. Meanwhile with Yasuke, while it's known he was African, a samurai, and in the service of Oda Nobunaga, there's not much in the way of other details available. However, such is part of what makes the movie potential so interesting - you can basically do next to anything and it wouldn't be technically ahistorical.

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

Wait! There were Africans in feudal Japan?! Anyone know books or resources on this, would love to learn more.

Very very few. Yasuke was brought by Jesuit missionaries on a trip to Japan and Nobunaga was fascinated by him.