[JAPAN MOVIE 2010] ノルウェイの森 NORWEGIAN WOOD

[Guest t3n5h1_chu_k015h173]

MATSUYAMA KENICHI, KIKUCHI RINKO, MIZUHARA KIKO

"Norwegian Wood" to star Matsuyama, Kikuchi

Thu, May 14, 2009 (1:33am EDT)

Tran Anh Hung's screen adaptation of the Haruki Murakami bestseller "Norwegian Wood" now has a cast. Kenichi Matsuyama (24) has been chosen to play the lead as the college student Toru Watanabe, while Rinko Kikuchi (28) plays his emotionally troubled lover Naoko.

The story's heroine, a lively young woman named Midori, will be played by ViVi fashion model Kiko Mizuhara (18) in her very first acting role. "Norwegian Wood" follows Toru's relationships with these two very different women, as well as his dealing with the death of a friend.

The movie starts shooting next month, though the scheduled release isn't until autumn 2010

[Guest snyder]

"Norwegian Wood" to star Matsuyama, Kikuchi

Thu, May 14, 2009 (1:33am EDT)

Tran Anh Hung's screen adaptation of the Haruki Murakami bestseller "Norwegian Wood" now has a cast. Kenichi Matsuyama (24) has been chosen to play the lead as the college student Toru Watanabe, while Rinko Kikuchi (28) plays his emotionally troubled lover Naoko.

The story's heroine, a lively young woman named Midori, will be played by ViVi fashion model Kiko Mizuhara (18) in her very first acting role. "Norwegian Wood" follows Toru's relationships with these two very different women, as well as his dealing with the death of a friend.

The movie starts shooting next month, though the scheduled release isn't until autumn 2010

ok.... matsuyama kenchi??? hmm.......... rinko kikuchi??? so not naoko. the naoko i have in mind so not like rinko kikuchi.........

[Guest COOKIE.BANDIT.]

I'm really interested in how this movie will turn out

when I read the book, I always imagined it to be made into a movie (or just curious as to how it would look visually)

[Guest susamirain]

I hope this movie is interesting because Kenichi has been having a run of eccentric and boring movies happening. This movie will hopefully have a bit of life to it and not be too weird.

[Guest diru]

When news of this came out I was kinda curious cause I hadn't actually seen Rinko Kikuchi ever in a Japanese role. Actually the only movie I've seen her in is Babel of course. So yeah, curious about Rinko's involvement in her native, Japan, but also because Kenichi Matsuyama was involved I researched a bit more into the book. I feel like reading it now cause it seems really interesting.

[Guest Wonderland]

This is exciting! I love NW and I love MatsuKen so it doesn't get better than this. This is definitely the type of character that would attract him. Can't wait!

[Guest fairyztale]

Let see how this movie will turn out... I love kenichi.. so I can't wait

[Guest ninyaah]

Oh God, how I badly want to read this book. I went to every bookstore I came across with but they don't have it. A movie? Interesting. I hope they give the story justice. Most of the time, a book-turned-movie is disappointing, just because they fail to capture the essence of the story.

[Guest flydolesqueue]

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[uruchai]

i should tell my Sensei about this. he's friends (or close acquaintaces) with Murakami himself. told us some funny things about the author.

sigh, Murakami's a genius writer - although I don't think i'll go for a 2nd round of Kafka on the Shore to grasp its full meaning. still, i'm planning to do a murakami-book marathon during the summer!

[Guest meimei__KOUSEKI]

matsuken!!!

omg another story ne~

i can't wait for this! and matsuken's Lost Memories hasn't even been premiered yet..now i'm excited for a new one =__=

[Guest Ms.BitterSweet]

Is there a trailer out yet? I would like to see what it will be like. I just saw some images of it in a magazine and thought how cute Kiko Mizuhara (ViVi) and Kenichi Matsuyama (DeathNote) looked standing side by side. Hope there will be more information about the film.

[Guest sheart]

This sounds super interesting. Since it's Murakami I'm sure it'll get a lot of press (and viewers). It's a pretty big task since Murakami has a pretty big following, so I hope the director will be ready for a lot of criticism.

Anyway.. I'm looking forward to it. (:

[Guest flyxme.]

interesting....

kikuchi rinko is pretty cool : D

[Guest lovefool]

Anybody a fan of Haruki Murakami's books? I really enjoyed reading "Norwegian wood" and am looking forward for the film adaption! I am not familiar with the director but I just hope the movie really captures the mentality with the characters.

Here is the book cover of "Norwegian Wood"

[article credit]: japantoday

The worldwide best-selling novel “Norwegian Wood,” written by Haruki Murakami, 59, will become a film, Fuji TV and Asmik Ace Entertainment said Thursday. Written in 1987, “Norwegian Wood” deals with the narrator’s memories of his student days in the 1960s and his relationships with two very different women.

According to the producers, the film will be directed by French-Vietnamese Tran Anh Hung, 46, and feature Japanese actors. Production is scheduled to start in February 2009, and the film will be released in 2010. Murakami has long declined offers to make the story into a film.

In an official comment, Hung said, “The original story is very dynamic but sensitive and has tenderness and grace. It will be a challenge for me to capture so many elements.”

[plot description]:

Upon hearing the song "Norwegian Wood," Toru (Matsuyama) remembers back to his life in the 1960s, when his friend Kizuki killed himself and he grew close to Naoko, Kizuki's girlfriend. As the two try, in very different ways, to contend with their grief, Toru forms a bond with another woman, Midori.

CAST

Kiko Mizuhara as Midori

Ken'ichi Matsuyama as Toru

Rinko Kikuchi as Naoko

RELEASE DATE: 12/11/2010 IN JAPAN

Film Stills

[Guest dadedum]

Thanks for creating the thread, I've been wondering about the status of this movie. I've seen 2 other works by the director - Cyclo and Scent of green papaya. His stuff is quite arthouse and I feel not accessible to everyone, but for those who appreciate this kind of stuff, the experience is mesmerising and visually astounding. I remember there was a sequence in Cyclo with Tony Leung (Hongkong actor) that I was in complete awe of. He made simplistic shots deeply moving and I think he works well with actors who are confident of themselves and can emote with minimal dialogue. With Toru being the introspective type and the overall mood of the book, the director and the plot seem like a good fit. Do you know who's writing the script?

Matsuyama looks the part but I've only seen him in Death Note, so I can't yet say if he has the acting chops to draw out his character. Rinko I'm not too big a fan of but again she looks the part and seems to be a favorite among critics. The pictures with the snow remind me of Love Letter, ha. With this being one of my favorite novels I hope they do a respectable job adapting it.

[Guest t3n5h1_chu_k015h173]

"Norwegian Wood" movie secures Beatles version for theme song

Wed, July 14, 2010 (1:06pm EDT)

The live-action movie adaptation of Haruki Murakami's popular novel "Norwegian Wood" has actually received approval to use the original Beatles song of the same name as its theme song.

The song "Norwegian Wood," first recorded on the 1965 Beatles album "Rubber Soul," inspired the title of Murakami's novel when he published it in 1987. The song is a thematic element of the story, and the film will faithfully include it in multiple scenes. Although director Tran Anh Hung felt it was only natural to use "Norwegian Wood" as the movie's theme song, negotiations were still incomplete by the time filming wrapped up last August.

Apple Records, which owns the rights to the Beatles catalog, initially refused. The film's producer considered having another artist cover the song, but Hung insisted that the original should be used. His perseverance paid off, as he finally secured approval in December. Apple had a policy against using the Beatles' version of the song in a commercial work, but the company ultimately made an exception for the "Norwegian Wood" adaptation, reportedly taking into account the tremendous popularity of the Murakami novel. So far, it has been translated into 36 languages and has sold 10 million copies in Japan alone.

The last time a Beatles tune was the theme song for a Japanese film was nearly 30 years ago in 1981, when "Let It Be" was used in "Akuryou Tou."

The "Norwegian Wood" movie, which stars Kenichi Matsuyama (25) and Rinko Kikuchi (29), opens in theaters this December.

[Guest iota]

I loved this book. I'm excited to see the movie adaption but hopefully it does the novel justice.

[Guest dadedum]

Here's a link to an incredibly short teaser - clip

I find the music too upbeat, I know it's too short to judge but I'm not really feeling it based on this. The film stills looked more promising though, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Ok I've just re-watched clip without sound, much better. Damn they'd better take out that stupid twirly music in the final cut.

[Guest HeartOnHerSleeve]

WOW. I can't believe this is being made into a movie!

I read Norwegian Wood for World Literature class. ahhh I loved the reading experience.