Samurai-Western Actioner BUNRAKU Starring Josh Hartnett & Demi Moore Picked Up for US Distribution

The star-studded experimental film which also stars Woody Harrelson & Ron Perlman was bought up by ARC Entertainment after its debut at the Toronto Film Festival last year. It may see American screens as early as this year.

A mysterious drifter (Josh Hartnett) and an ardent young Japanese warrior Yoshi (Gackt) both arrive in a town that is terrorized by outrageous and virulent criminals. Each is obsessed with his separate mission, and guided by the wisdom of The Bartender (Woody Harrelson) at the Horseless Horseman Saloon, the two eventually join forces to bring down the corrupt and contemptuous reign of Nicola (Ron Perlman), the awesomely evil "woodcutter" and his lady Alexandra (Demi Moore), a femme fatale with a secret past. This classic tale is re-vitalized and re-imagined in an entirely fresh visual context, set in a unique world that mixes skewed reality with shadow-play fantasy, a place where even the landscape can betray you. Heroes triumph here only because the force of their will transforms and transcends both space and time. The world of BUNRAKU is past and present, fantasy and reality, Samurai and Western all combined. Like "Sin City" and "300", it gives classic conflict a whole new graphically supercharged dynamic. Resonating through a wide range of cultures and showcasing a mind-blowing array of martial arts disciplines, BUNRAKU is a fresh arena for breath-taking fight action.

Bunraku stars Josh Hartnett, Ron Perlman, Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson, Kevin McKidd, Jordi Molla, Gackt Camui and Shun Sugata. It was directed by Guy Moshe and shot entirely on stage on a $25 million budget. The film's produced by Snoot Entertainment's Keith Calder and Jessica Wu, along with Picturesque Films' Nava Levin, and Ram Bergman. Production designer Alex McDowell co-produced. The sale was handled by IM Global. Reports state that the film could hit American theaters by the end of this year.