Sega’s popular Like A Dragon (Ryu Ga Gotoku) series (formerly known as Yakuza) is getting a six-episode, live-action series on Amazon Prime Video releasing on October 25 and November 1, 2024. Ryōma Takeuchi (of Kamen Rider Drive fame) will star as protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, with Masaharu Take as director. The plot will be based on the first game, known as Yakuza in the West.
Rising Like A Dragon
The Like A Dragon franchise began on the PS2 back in 2005. The latest game, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Ryū ga Gotoku 8), launched on January 26 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. The series gained mainstream attention for its famous song: Bakamitai.
Discussion about a Like A Dragon Live Action project was rumored by Variety in September 2020. 1212 Entertainment and Wild Sheep Content were attached to the project. Erik Barmack, Roberto Grande, and Joshua Long were the producers.
There had been several previous Like A Dragon Live Action projects before. Like a Dragon: The Movie was directed by Takeshi Miike in released in 2007. Alongside it was Like a Dragon: Prologue, directed by Takeshi Miyasaka, which was released in 2006. The plot of both films loosely adapted the original 2005 games’ plot. Kazuma Kiryu takes the fall for the murder of his family’s patriarch, he is released from prison 10 years later. He’s drawn back into the world of the yakuza with a missing 100 billion yen, a mysterious girl, and unfinished business.
Will the latest live-action project be more faithful to the game’s plot and keep the goofy antics, bone-crunching action, and heartwarming moments that define the game?
