Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s ‘The Samurai and the Prisoner’ secures global distribution

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s period drama, ‘The Samurai and the Prisoner’, has secured extensive international distribution deals following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Sales agent Charades has expanded the film’s reach across multiple global territories, building on its commercial success in Japan.

In its domestic market, the film has been distributed by Shochiku and has surpassed ¥1.1 billion (approximately $7.1 million) at the Japanese box office with roughly 800,000 admissions. In North America, Janus Films holds the rights for the United States and Canada, where the film has grossed approximately $800,000.

Additional distribution agreements include Blue Finch Film (UK), I Wonder Pictures (Italy), Arthouse (France), Adso Films (Spain), and several other regional distributors across Asia, Oceania, and Europe. The film is an adaptation of Honobu Yonezawa’s Naoki Prize-winning novel, set during Japan’s Sengoku period, and marks Kurosawa’s first foray into the historical period drama genre.