EXCLUSIVE: Actor and filmmaker Calvert David Miles is currently enveloping himself in the development and pre-production phases of his second narrative project, Yasuke: Descendants. The film takes a page from history noted in recent years of online hype signaling the latest in forthcoming theatrical tellings of the first and only recorded samurai of African descent to serve Lord Nobunaga Oda in the 16th century.
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| Concept artwork |
Brotherhood, jealousy and revenge are key factors in Miles's script which lays the groundwork for a fictional tale across time, one that now sees two L.A. gang leaders, Phoenix and Ryo - consanguineal to Yusuke and his rival, the Lord's brother, Akechi - at odds. Following a deadly raid on both gangs and the seizure of Phoenix's lost family heirloom - a mystical sword passed down from father to son, tragedy further escalates in parallel with the desire for vengeance between Phoenix, and Wess (Miles), and FBI agent now caught in the throes of centuries-old cycle of warfare and bloodshed.
After successfully landing distribution with Global Genesis Group for his 2016 independent MMA feature acting and directing debut, The Woman In The Red Dress, Miles initially intended on scoring again with the development of a slick action thriller in the vein of Crank and Speed. He then put off the project to contemplate further on the narrative and concept for the next three months before picking up the pen and completing the story.
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| Calvert David Miles and Action On Film festival host Del Weston in 2014 |
"After stumbling upon an article about the first black samurai to serve a Japanese warlord, I became interested in the journey of this unfamiliar warrior named Yasuke.", says Miles in a director's statement. "I began to do research, uncovering how a slave in the 1500s could rise against the odds to become the only known African to reach the rank of samurai in feudal Japan. This historical figure acts as the launching pad for the original story of Yasuke: Descendants."
Miles won Breakout Male Action Star at the Action On Film festival for his performance in the 2014 short, Assassin Origin. He will be rejoined by his The Woman In The Red Dress co-star, actor and martial artist Kevin Brewerton, who will play Wess's partner, Rico, while further casting for the dual roles of Yasuke and Phoenix, as well as that of Nobunaga and another female character, remain pending.
Miles's 3 Strands Of Rope Productions is producing the film along with Global Genesis Group with more producers to soon attach.
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