The first images and new scene photos from the beginning of the film ‘Iké Boys,’ which will be released on June 14 (Friday), are now available.
Directed and written by Eric McKeever, an American who has been obsessed with Japanese tokusatsu movies since his childhood, the fantasy film is set in his home state of Oklahoma. The film, which pays homage to special effects and Japanese culture in abundance, has been a hit at fantastic film festivals around the world, and will be released in theaters in North America in 2022.
Sean, his best friend Vikram, and Miki, an exchange student from Japan, are high school “otaku” nerds living in rural Oklahoma who love special effects and anime. When they watch a rare Japanese anime DVD that Sean has acquired, they are electrocuted by a mysterious power from the DVD and pass out. When they wake up the next morning, Sean is able to shoot beams from his hands, and Vikram has acquired such as super strength. The film depicts how the three become entangled in a conspiracy in which the fate of the world hangs in the balance, and how “the fate of humanity is entrusted to an insignificant otaku”.
The main character, Sean, whom the director says he projected from his own student days, is played by Quinn Lord, Vikram by Ronak Gandhi, and the foreign student, Miki, by Christina Higa. Ben Browder and Billy Zane also appear in the film, as do Yumiko Shaku, who starred in “Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla”; Ryo Iwamatsu, who also appeared in “Shin Ultraman” and “What to Do with the Dead Kaiju?”; and Shusuke Kaneko, a film director who has worked on many tokusatsu films including the “Gamera” series. The animation narration is by “Shin Ultraman” director Shinji Higuchi. The sculpting was supervised by legendary sculptor Keizo Murase, who has worked on numerous sculptures including the “Godzilla,” “Gamera,” and “Daimajin” series, and has laid the foundation for the current monster sculpting style.
The first video clip released shows a new animated film, “Go! Great Decisive Battle at the End of the Century with Rainbows” is presented at a board meeting in 1969 by the director Daisuke Ogata, played by Iwamatsu.Then, Ogata “prophesies” that “the fate of mankind will be entrusted to a dull otaku who is not much more than a savior.The film depicts the film’s release in 1972, its box office flop, the film’s physicalization after escaping arson, and its arrival on DVD to Sean in 1999.
Kaneko is among the producers listening to the presentation, and Vikram also looks at the envelope containing the DVD and says, “What is this, ‘Gamera 3’?” referring to the film directed by Kaneko. Also, “Guts Daze” is used as background music during the conversation between Sean and Vikram, and other subtle references to Japanese culture and special effects are scattered throughout the film.
In conjunction with the Japanese release of the film, a post-screening greeting will be held at TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku on June 15 (Sat.), the day after the film’s release. Eric McKeever and Christina Higa will visit Japan and join Yumiko Shaku on stage. Tickets are available by lottery at Ticket Pia until 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 5, and will go on sale to the general public at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, June 7.
Iké Boys
Quinn Lord, Ronak Gandy, Christina Higa
Yumiko Shaku Ben Browder Ryo Iwamatsu / Billy Zane
Director/Screenplay: Eric McKeever Source/Distributor: Atemo
2021/ USA/ English/ Japanese/ Color/ CinemaScope/ 5.1ch/ G/ 88 min
Copyright: ⒸIké Boys MOVIE, LLC
Official HP: https://atemo.co.jp/ikeboys/
Official X: @AtemoInc
