The Fable is a manga series written by Katsuhisa Minami. It was first published in Weekly Young Jump in 2014. Since then it has gone on to sell over 2.8 million copies and in 2017 it won a Kodansha Manga Award. The manga is receiving a live-action adaptation which is set for release on June 21, 2019.

Junichi Okada, who plays the film’s protagonist Akira Satō, has given insight into what it has been like shooting the film on set.

Part of the film is being shot at an abandoned warehouse in the outskirts of the Kanto region. The film’s crew has utilised the full size of the warehouse which itself houses a 10 meter high wharf. The cast and staff have shot some thrilling scenes here including one where Kojima (Yūya Yagira) is sat on a chair at the edge of the wharf where he is suspended by a single wire and on the verge of falling.

The one who rushes over to save Kojima from falling is Akira (Junichi Okada). There is midair acrobatic stunts, smashing through glass, and more mayhem.

“The Fable” Main Theme Song 90-Second Trailer

The wharf scene, which features in the above trailer, is an original scene not seen in the manga. The movie’s director explained how this scene was the scariest to the film due to its danger factor.

In the film, the protagonist Akira retires from killing and declares he won’t kill anyone. To ensure that scenes aren’t plain and boring, the staff ensured to shoot impactful scenes at every turn. The character’s actor Okada also explained how the film has left an impression on him and has upped his physical ability.

Okada has received tremendous support for his role as an actor star. His action team whom he trusts implicitly is a mix of French and Japanese staff. This includes French fight choreographer Alain Figlarz (The Bourne Identity, 2002; Lucy, 2014) and stunt coordinator Minoru Tomita (Rurouni Kenshin, 2012).

The Fable will hit Japanese theatres this summer.

©2019 “The Fable” Production Committee

The Fable is a manga series written by Katsuhisa Minami. It was first published in Weekly Young Jump in 2014. Since then it has gone on to sell over 2.8 million copies and in 2017 it won a Kodansha Manga Award. A live-action adaptation was announced last year.

A second trailer for the film was just released. See it here: https://youtu.be/ilymmtP6RVo

Junichi Okada will play the role of the fabled protagonist Akira Satō, a skilled killer hidden somewhere in Osaka. He must reside there as an ordinary citizen for one year in order for his boss to lay low. His boss is somebody he has obeyed since childhood.

The Fable is packed with action scenes. For Okada to play the lead role he received training from fighting instructor Alain Figlarz who has worked Hollywood hits as The Bourne Identity, Taken 2 and Taken 3, and Lucy on which he has worked alongside Matt Damon, Liam Neeson and others respectively.

Talking about working with Junichi Okada, Figlarz praised his physical strength, commenting: “I have never seen an actor move as quickly as he can.”

The newly-released trailer showcases behind-the-scenes footage of action scenes with Figlarz and Okada and the scale to which the crew are going to for the epic fight scenes, such as a scene with Sota Fukushi, who plays Hood, performing some acrobatic stunts.

The other cast members also gave praise to Okada’s performance during the video. Mizuki Yamamoto, who will play Misaki, and Fumino Kimura, who will play Yōko, both called him a pro when it comes to action and someone they can feel safe around.

Kōichi Satō, who plays The Boss, said: “Okada is a man of action and someone who supports the staff and other actors.”

The Fable will hit Japanese theatres on June 21, 2019.

 The Fable manga series was green-lit for a live-action adaption last year.

The manga was first published in Weekly Young Jump in 2014. Since then it has gone on to sell over 2.8 million copies and in 2017 it won a Kodansha Manga Award. This series follows a skilled killer hidden somewhere in Osaka. He must reside there as an ordinary citizen for one year in order for his boss to lay low whom he has obeyed since childhood.

A special video was released on Schochiku’s official YouTube channel. It showcases scenes from the movie and on-set filming and feature narration by Junichi Okada who plays the role of the fabled protagonist Akira Satō.

This marks Okada’s first film playing the role of a killer. With his history in martial arts and experience as an instructor in hand-to-hand combat there is much anticipation for the film’s action scenes.

The film is set for release in Japan on June 21, 2019.