Janus Films has acquired all U.S. rights to “The Samurai and the Prisoner,” directed by legendary Japanese filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa (“Cure,” “Pulse,” “Cloud”). Adapted from the sensational novel by Honobu Yonezawa, winning the 12th Futaro Yamada Award and the 166th Naoki Prize, “The Samurai and the Prisoner” will have its World Premiere at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in the Cannes Premieres section.

The deal was negotiated between Janus Films and Charades. Janus Films will announce theatrical release plans in the coming weeks.

“The Samurai and the Prisoner” was produced by Shochiku in association with Tokyo Broadcasting
System Television, based on the original Story: “Kokurojo” (English title: “The Samurai and the Prisoner”) written by Honobu Yonezawa (published by Kadokawa Corporation).

Synopsis

When Lord Murashige Araki rises up against the tyrannical Nobunaga Oda, he finds himself besieged within the walls of his own castle. Isolated, he is confronted with a series of mysterious crimes that shatter the fragile order of his court, plunging the fortress into fear and suspicion. With Oda’s army closing in and a traitor hiding among his ranks, Murashige is forced into an uneasy alliance with Kanbei Kuroda, a brilliant yet dangerous strategist held prisoner in the dungeon. Helped by his wife Chiyoho and his most loyal generals, Murashige must uncover the truth before the castle falls.

About Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Born in 1955 in Kobe, Japan, Kurosawa started directing 8mm independent films while studying Sociology at Rikkyo University. After that he was working as an assistant director under Kazuhiko Hasegawa and Shinji Somai. Kurosawa first achieved international acclaim with his serial killer film “Cure.” His films include “Charisma,” “Pulse,” “Bright Future,” “Tokyo Sonata,” “Journey To The Shore,” “Creepy,” “Daguerrotype,” “After We Vanish,” “Wife Of A Spy,” “Serpent’s Path” and his latest feature “Cloud.”

Statement from Kiyoshi Kurosawa

“主君織田信長に反旗をひるがえした戦国武将荒木村重の物語が、国境も時間も超えたカンヌで上映されると知り、たいへん驚いています。
幸運にも海外の人たちに、これは現代でも十分あり得ることだと腑に落ちていただけたなら、どんなに嬉しいことでしょうか。”

“I was very positively surprised to learn that the story of the Sengoku warlord Araki Murashige, who rebelled against his lord Oda Nobunaga, will be screened in Cannes, transcending both borders and time. If, by good fortune, people overseas can truly understand that this is something that could still happen even today, I would be immensely happy.”

Janus Films recently announced the acquisitions of 2026 Berlinale selection “Dao,” by Alain Gomis; 2025 Locarno and TIFF selection “Blue Heron,” the debut film from Sophy Romvari; 2025 Cannes selections “Romeria,” Carla Simon’s magical follow-up to her Berlinale Golden Bear-winner “Alcarras”; “Magellan,” the latest from auteur Lav Diaz, selected by the Philippines for the 2025 Academy Awards; the Cannes award-winning “Resurrection” from visionary director Bi Gan; Hlynur Pálmason’s “The Love That Remains,” selected by Iceland for the 2025 Academy Awards; and the acclaimed “Two Prosecutors,” by Sergei Loznitsa; and Ira Sachs’ Sundance and New York Film Festival selection “Peter Hujars’s Day.”

About Janus Films
Founded in 1956, Janus Films was the first theatrical distribution company dedicated to bringing international art-house films to U.S. audiences. Janus handles rights in all media to an extensive library that ranges from classics by Agnès Varda, Michelangelo Antonioni, Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, Akira Kurosawa, Ousmane Sembène, and Chantal Akerman to major works by contemporary masters like David Lynch, Wong Kar Wai, Jim Jarmusch, Lucrecia Martel, and Edward Yang. Recent 4K re-releases include Edward Yang’s “Yi Yi,” Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai,” Barbara Kopple’s American Dream,” and Wim Wenders’ “Paris, Texas.” Beginning with its Academy Award-winning run for Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Great Beauty,” Janus Films has established a track record of releasing such celebrated new theatrical films as the Academy Award winning “Drive My Car and Flow,” Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine As Light,” Ira Sachs’ “Peter Hujars’s Day,” Bi Gan’s “Resurrection,” David Cronenberg’s “The Shrouds,” and Jia Zhangke’s “Caught By The Tides,” as well as new work by Jerzy Skolimowski, Catherine Breillat, Nuri Bilge Ceylon, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Lila Aviles, and Alain Guiraudie, among others.