Guitar Wolf, a real-life punk outfit with a long record of touring internationally, headlines “Wild Zero Overdrive,” director Takeuchi Tetsuro’s follow-up to his 1999 film “Wild Zero.”
The project is among those at this year’s Tokyo Gap-Financing Market.
Takeuchi said he is using the original as a template and updating it for the present day. “Precisely because we’re living in the age of AI, I want to convey the heat that comes from raw, primal punk rock,” Takeuchi said.
The Japan-Canada project is produced by Takegei Company Limited. Takeuchi is putting together the budget with his own money as the base, while also searching for distribution partners. Casting is underway.
“Rock’n’roll never dies. And love for Japanese subculture and rock’n’roll. UFOs. Motorcycles. Love,” Takeuchi said of what he wants audiences to take from the film.
“I’ve been a huge fan of ‘Wild Zero’ (1999) ever since it came out. I even named my dog Ace, after the film’s main character.” said Toronto-based producer Takabatake Aki.
Takabatake met the new film’s cinematographer by chance in Toronto, while Takabatake was working on a commercial, and took the encounter as a sign.
“‘Wild Zero Overdrive’ and I are bound together by an unbreakable rock ’n’ roll pact,” Takabatake said.
In Tokyo, the team will pitch the project to industry professionals at TGFM / Frontières Tokyo. The producers are also looking for further financing, distributors in Japan and abroad, and international sales agents.
“Hopefully, we’ll be able to connect with some great potential partners who share our passion for the project,” Takabatake said.
The Tokyo Gap-Financing Market runs as part of TIFFCOM, the content market attached to the Tokyo International Film Festival.
