A TV adaptation of the Like a Dragon franchise, previously known as Yakuza, has been announced, seemingly out of nowhere, in collaboration by Amazon Prime, series publisher and owner Sega, and series developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio.
Described as an original story based on the games, the live action series – titled Like a Dragon: Yakuza – will star Ryoma Takeuchi as Kazuma Kiryu, with Masaharu Take and Kengo Takimoto serving as directors and Sean Crouch and Yugo Nakamura having written the story and screenplay. Yasuhiro Yoshida and Kana Yamada are credit for the Japanese screenplay, while Erik Barmack, Roberto Grande, and Joshua Long are named as executive producers.
“I am truly honored to be given the opportunity to play the role of Kazuma Kiryu, a beloved character and the game series,” said lead actor Ryoma Takeuchi. “I strongly felt that I was willing to put my life on the line. Audience will enjoy the show’s human drama and conflict that unfolds around Kazuma Kiryu. Moreover, please take a look Kiryu’s intense fighting scenes with the Dragon tattoo on his back.”
“I have poured out my heart, soul, and the experience that I have garnered over 35 years into Like a Dragon: Yakuza,” said director Masaharu Take. “The unbridled passion, talent, and countless hours of efforts from the entire team have helped bring this spectacular story to life in the form of a riveting series that will be launched this year, the year of the dragon. Please look forward to Kazuma Kiryu, played by Ryoma Takeuchi.”
“We are thrilled and extremely excited to announce the Amazon Original action-drama Like a Dragon: Yakuza, based on the popular Japanese game series,” said James Farrell, Head of International Originals, Amazon MGM Studios. “The unfettered appeal for Japanese content from within Japan and other parts of the world has been growing exponentially. While Prime Video Japan continues to offer a variety of content across genres, adapting an internationally popular game franchise that has such deep resonance and layered characters presents a unique charm and makes for an extremely compelling watch. We are committed to augmenting our content library and are confident that Like a Dragon: Yakuza will strike a chord with audiences all over the world.”
Like a Dragon: Yakuza will consist of six episodes, with the first three episodes premiering on Amazon Prime on October 25, and the remaining three on November 1.
