Production I.G Presents a New Mamoru Oshii & Production I.G Collaborative Project Musashi: The Dream of the Last Samurai

Animated Feature Film to hit the screens in 2009

OVERVIEW The creative team of Ghost in the Shell, Innocence and The Sky
Crawlers resurrects the legendary swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi on the big
screen!

Maverick filmmaker Mamoru Oshii is the mastermind behind the original
concept for this project, in collaboration with top-notch studio Production
I.G – the team that brought you cutting edge anime such as
“Patlabor: The Movie” (1989), “Patlabor: The Movie 2″ (1993), “Ghost in the
Shell” (1995), “Innocence” (2004) and “The Sky Crawlers” (2008).

This new full-length feature film entitled, MUSASHI: THE DREAM OF THE LAST
SAMURAI (original Japanese title: Miyamoto Musashi – Soken ni Haseru Yume)
is slated in Japanese theaters for summer 2009.

SYNOPSIS Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) was an unrivalled swordsman in the
days when internal wars in Japan had virtually ended. Nevertheless, he wrote
a master treatise on military strategy, “The Book of Five Rings”
and sought “the way” to enlighten his spirit and cultivate his mind. But
could this image have been manufactured by the generations that followed…?

Mamoru Oshii will take on an unusual portrayal of this legendary and aloof
warrior, between spectacular duels and a tragic life in pursuit of
greatness. With “The Book of Five Rings” as his guide, Oshii will unsheathe
the true vision of the greatest swordsman in Japanese history!
Medieval chivalry, horsemanship, swordsmanship and the essence of “The Book
of Five Rings” will be pure entertainment!

The impressive production staff includes director Mizuho Nishikubo (also
known by his alias Toshihiko Nishikubo) who has worked on numerous Oshii
films including “Ghost in the Shell” (1995), “Innocence” (2004) and “The Sky
Crawlers” (2008), as well as directed “Otogi Zoshi” and the epic series
“Legend of Heavenly Sphere Shurato“. Kazuto Nakazawa, director of the
mind-blowing animation segment in Quentin Tarantino‘s “Kill Bill Vol.
1″ (2003) and creator of innovative characters as seen in “Samurai Champloo”
(2004), will design the characters for MUSASHI.

Format: Animated Feature Film
Release Date: Early Summer 2009
Animation: Production I.G
Distributed in Japan by Pony Canyon

MAIN STAFF
– Original Concept / Screenplay: Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell, The Sky
Crawlers)

– Director: Mizuho Nishikubo
(Innocence, The Sky Crawlers, Legend of Heavenly Sphere Shurato, Otogi
Zoshi)

– Character Design: Kazuto Nakazawa
(Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Samurai Champloo, Asience: Hairy Tale)

– Animation Director: Kazuchika Kise
(Ghost in the Shell, Blood: The Last Vampire)

– Art Director: Shuichi Hirata (Innocence, XXXHOLiC – A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, Asience: Hairy Tale)

– CG Animation: Makoto Endo
(Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Le Chevalier D’Eon)

– Animation Studio: Production I.G
(Ghost in the Shell, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, The Sky Crawlers)

ABOUT PRODUCTION I.G
Established by Mitsuhisa Ishikawa in 1987, Production I.G is one of the
world’s leading animation studios. With its cutting-edge works, such as
“Ghost in the Shell” (1995), “Jin-Roh” (2000), “Blood: The Last Vampire”
(2000), “Kill Bill: Vol. 1″ (animation segment, 2003), “Innocence” (2004)
and “The Sky Crawlers” (2008), I.G has gained high reputation around the
globe, inspiring Hollywood creators such as James Cameron, Quentin Tarantino
and the Wachowski brothers.

Official Website: http://www.production-ig.com