Ryuhei Kitamura
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| Ryuhei Kitamura | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 30, 1969 (age 37) Japan |
| Occupation | Film director and screenwriter |
[edit] Biography
Ryuhei Kitamura (北村龍平 Kitamura Ryūhei, born in Osaka, Japan, May 30, 1969) is a Japanese film director growing in popularity in Japan and in the international Japanese film community.
- Kitamura's films are known for their extensive storylines, sword fighting and martial arts, and action sequences.
- Born in Osaka, Japan, Kitamura quit high school and went to the School of Visual Arts in Australia at age 17. His first film was the short Exit, which he made as his graduation piece at age 19. After graduating, he returned to Japan to establish napalm Films, his independent film production studio. While his films Down to Hell and Heat After Dark were successful in film festivals, Kitamura's rise to international fame came from Versus.
- Kitamura went on to direct several movies, including adaptations of the manga Azumi and the popular Japanese TV drama Sky High. He had also collaborated with director Yukihiko Tsutsumi in the Duel Project, in which the two agreed to produce the best dueling movie with minimal production time and budget, with Aragami being Kitamura's part. He also ventured into the world of video games by directing the cutscenes and motion capturing of Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, the GameCube remake of the classic PlayStation stealth game Metal Gear Solid by Hideo Kojima. He served as producer on Battlefield Baseball.
- Kitamura's latest film, Godzilla: Final Wars had its premiere in Hollywood. His future plans include a sequel to Versus as well as preparation for Hollywood.
- Kitamura owns his Tokyo based-production company napalm Films and is represented by Anonymous Content in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Kitamura's Versus (2000) was mentioned in Jean-Luc Godard's Notre musique (2004).
- Kitamura signed to direct Midnight Meat Train, which is based on Clive Barker's short horror story of the same name for Lakeshore Entertainment and Lionsgate and will start shooting winter 2007.
[edit] Filmography (as director)
- Down to Hell (1996)
- Heat After Dark (1996)
- Versus (2000)
- Alive (2002)
- Jam Films (segment "The Messenger - Requiem for the Dead") (2002)
- Aragami (2003)
- Azumi (2003)
- The Messenger (2003)
- Sky High (2003)
- Longinus (2004)
- Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)
- LoveDeath (2006)
- Midnight Meat Train (2008)
