Takashi Miike
Director of the upcoming *Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo*.
Takashi Miike is a prolific Japanese filmmaker and actor who has directed more than one hundred films and television productions across a wide array of genres, including action, children's films, comedy, drama, horror, musicals, and jidaigeki period dramas. He is best known internationally for horror works such as *Audition* (1999), *Ichi the Killer* (2001), *Visitor Q* (2001), *Gozu* (2003), and *One Missed Call* (2003), as well as samurai and yakuza films like *Dead or Alive* (1999), *Graveyard of Honor* (2002), and *13 Assassins* (2010), the latter earning him a Japan Academy Film Prize nomination for Director of the Year. He has also acted in more than twenty films. For much of his career, Miike was a controversial figure, with several of his films criticized for extreme graphic violence and transgressive content; *Ichi the Killer* was banned in several countries. In his later career, he shifted toward more mainstream work: *Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai* (2011) and *Straw Shield* (2013) were both nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, while *Sukiyaki Western Django* (2007) and *13 Assassins* were nominated for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. Many of his films have developed cult followings. Miike was born in Yao, Osaka, on August 24, 1960, to a seamstress mother and a welder father. He studied at the Yokohama Vocational School of Broadcast and Film under founder Shohei Imamura. His early work included television productions and direct-to-video V-Cinema releases, which he continued to direct for their creative freedom. His theatrical debut was *The Third Gangster*, but *Shinjuku Triad Society* (1995) first gained public attention, launching his "Black Society Trilogy." Miike is known for his dark comedy, shocking violence, and genre range, from children's films like *Ninja Kids!!!* to the musical comedy horror *The Happiness of the Katakuris*.
- field
- Filmmaker, actor
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
In July 2021, producer Edward R. Pressman announced a series of *Bad Lieutenant* sequels set in various locations worldwide. By April 2025, *Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo* was officially announced as being in development, directed by Takashi Miike from a script by Daisuke Tengan. The plot centers on a Tokyo Metropolitan Police Officer involved in corrupt gambling who is investigated by an FBI agent for the disappearance of a politician's daughter, while a deviant killer operating in the yakuza underworld follows their actions. Principal photography began in May 2025 in Japan. Sam Pressman stated: "My father Edward R. Pressman always believed this story of corruption, both of police and the human soul, has a global resonance. To realize this next evolution now in Tokyo...is both an honor and a dream come true." The film is a joint-venture between Japanese and U.S. studios including Pressman Films, Recorded Picture Company, Nippon TV, TF1, and OLM, with NEON distributing. Producers include Jeremy Thomas, Sam Pressman, Naoaki Kitajima, and Misako Saka. Marketing commenced in March 2026 with the first official movie poster released in Japan. *Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo* is scheduled for its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 14 September 2026, and is set to be released on 23 October 2026 in Japan.
Reader's Guide
Takashi Miike's involvement with *Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo* marks his entry into an established film series that began with *Bad Lieutenant* (1992) and continued with *Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans* (2009). The film is described as an action thriller, with Miike directing a script by Daisuke Tengan. The cast includes Shun Oguri, Lily James, Shotaro Mamiya, Liv Morgan, Shūhei Nomura, Nanase Nishino, Yuka Kouri, Takanori Iwata, Keisuke Watanabe, Hideo Nakano, Jun Murakami, Jun Kunimura, and Hiroshi Tachi in a special appearance. The project was developed under the vision of the late Edward R. Pressman, who believed the story of corruption has global resonance. Filming took place entirely in Japan starting May 2025. The film's release schedule includes a September 2026 premiere at TIFF and an October 2026 theatrical release in Japan.
Did You Know?
- Takashi Miike directed *Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo*, the third film in the *Bad Lieutenant* series, following *Bad Lieutenant* (1992) and *Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans* (2009).
- The film's script was written by Daisuke Tengan, and principal photography began in Japan in May 2025.
- Sam Pressman, CEO of Pressman Films, said Miike's adaptation is 'unrelentingly wild and unique.'
- The film is a joint-venture between Japanese and U.S. studios including Pressman Films, Recorded Picture Company, Nippon TV, TF1, and OLM.
- *Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo* is scheduled to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 14 September 2026 and release in Japan on 23 October 2026.
More in Auteur Directors 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record