THE SAMURAI AND THE PRISONER Press Notes and Photo Gallery From Shochiku

A highly skilled strategist is recruited by the man holding him captive to solve a murder in THE SAMURAI AND THE PRISONER. Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. © Honobu Yonezawa / KADOKAWA ©️2026 KOKUROJO Film Partners

Source: Shochiku Co., Ltd.

Official Site: https://movies.shochiku.co.jp/kokurojo-movie/ (Japan)

Shochiku Co., Ltd. has provided SciFi Japan with press notes, promotional artwork, and a photo gallery for their new historical mystery drama from internationally acclaimed director Kiyoshi Kurosawa (CURE, PULSE, CLOUD). While the film's Japanese title KOKUROJO (黒牢城) translates to "The Black Fortress", Shochiku is marketing it internationally with the English title THE SAMURAI AND THE PRISONER.

The movie is based on the 2021 novel of the same name by author Honobu Yonezawa. The cast features Masahiro Motoki (star of the Oscar-winning DEPARTURES), Masaki Suda (star of KAMEN RIDER W), Yuriko Yoshitaka (GANTZ), Munetaka Aoki (GODZILLA MINUS ONE), Tasuku Emoto (SHIN KAMEN RIDER), and Joe Odagiri (star of KAMEN RIDER KUUGA).

THE SAMURAI AND THE PRISONER opens in Japanese theaters on Friday, June 19th.

Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. © Honobu Yonezawa / KADOKAWA ©️2026 KOKUROJO Film Partners

Story

The provincial lord of Arioka Castle, Araki Murashige (Masahiro Motoki), rebels against tyrannical despot Oda Nobunaga (Bando Shingo), and makes a stand at his stronghold castle. Soon, the fortress is surrounded by Oda’s forces, leaving the inhabitants completely isolated from the outside world. Murashige strives to protect the castle and its people, while struggling to keep his hot-headed retainers in check, finding emotional support in his wife, Chiyoh (Yuriko Yoshitaka).

Amidst this growing tension, a young boy is murdered within the castle walls. The killer is unknown, but must be one of the retainers or family members trapped inside the sealed-off fortress. With enemy forces outside and a traitor within, a succession of bizarre incidents follow.

With suspicion and paranoia running rampant through Arioka Castle, Murashige seeks the help of a prisoner in his dungeon—the dangerous enemy tactician Kanbei Kuroda (Masaki Suda)—to solve the mysteries. What is the shocking truth behind these events?

Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. © Honobu Yonezawa / KADOKAWA ©️2026 KOKUROJO Film Partners

Details

Release Date: Friday, June 19, 2026 (Japan)
Release Information: Nationwide Roadshow
Run Time: 147 Minutes

CAST
Araki Murashige: Masahiro Motoki
Kuroda Kanbei: Masaki Suda
Chiyoho: Yuriko Yoshitaka
Araki Kyuzaemon: Munetaka Aoki
Inui Sukesaburo: Ryota Miyadate
Saika Sagehari: Tasuku Emoto
Koori Juemon: Joe Odagiri
Shironosuke Akioka: Yusuke Santamaria
Kawarabayashi Notonyudo: Mitsuo Yoshihara
Kitagawara Yosaku: Ryota Bando
Muhen: Yoshiyoshi Arakawa
Saika Magoroku: Kiyohiko Shibukawa
Takayama Dairyo: Ikkei Watanabe
Nakanishi Shinpachiro: Yoshimasa Kondo
Ikeda Izumi: Toshihiro Yashiba
Nomura Tango: Masatoshi Kihara
Itami Ichirozaemon: Kochi Yamato
Mori Kahei: Mutsuo Yoshioka
Temple Servant: Shusaku Kamikawa
Kuriyama Zensuke: Oshiro Maeda
Oda Nobunaga: Bando Shingo

STAFF
Director & Screenplay: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Original Story: Kokurojo by Honobu Yonezawa (Published by Kadokawa Bunko / KADOKAWA)
Producers: Junyuki Shimoba, Tsutomu Tsuchikawa
Cinematography: Yasyuyuki Sasaki
Production Design: Tetsuo Harada
Editor: Koichi Takahashi
Sound: Shimadzu Mikisuke
Music: Yoshihiro Hanno

Production: Shochiku, TBS
Distribution: Shochiku

Araki Murashige (Masahiro Motoki). Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. © Honobu Yonezawa / KADOKAWA ©️2026 KOKUROJO Film Partners

Kuroda Kanbei (Masaki Suda). Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. © Honobu Yonezawa / KADOKAWA ©️2026 KOKUROJO Film Partners

Chiyoho (Yuriko Yoshitaka). Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. © Honobu Yonezawa / KADOKAWA ©️2026 KOKUROJO Film Partners

Araki Kyuzaemon (Munetaka Aoki). Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. © Honobu Yonezawa / KADOKAWA ©️2026 KOKUROJO Film Partners

Inui Sukesaburo (Ryota Miyadate). Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. © Honobu Yonezawa / KADOKAWA ©️2026 KOKUROJO Film Partners

Saika Sagehari (Tasuku Emoto). Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. © Honobu Yonezawa / KADOKAWA ©️2026 KOKUROJO Film Partners

Koori Juemon (Joe Odagiri). Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. © Honobu Yonezawa / KADOKAWA ©️2026 KOKUROJO Film Partners

Shironosuke Akioka (Yusuke Santamaria). Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. © Honobu Yonezawa / KADOKAWA ©️2026 KOKUROJO Film Partners

Kawarabayashi Notonyudo (Mitsuo Yoshihara). Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. © Honobu Yonezawa / KADOKAWA ©️2026 KOKUROJO Film Partners

Kitagawara Yosaku (Ryota Bando). Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. © Honobu Yonezawa / KADOKAWA ©️2026 KOKUROJO Film Partners

About Shochiku Co., Ltd.

Shochiku traces its origins to 1895 when Takejiro Otani presented his first stage play. They also produced the first color motion picture in Japan, and have expanded into TV dramas, video contents, Kabuki presentation, theater operations, and real estate. The company has become a symbol of enduring tradition as the exclusive promoter of the Kabuki theater in Japan as well as widely known as the creator of the world’s longest-running feature film series, TORA-SAN. The company is making all possible efforts to develop business in various fields, including multimedia and co-productions, across generation, national, and cultural borders.