Fast and Furious actor Sung Kang ‘trying’ to direct Initial D movie
American actor Sung Kang, known for his role in the Fast and Furious movies as Han Lue, expressed his interest in directing an Initial D live-action adaptation that would hit the silver screens with a big budget!
Initial D is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Shuichi Shigeno. It inspired a five-season TV anime and was the first franchise to revive and immortalize the iconic Toyota AE86.
The iconic franchise added to the recent popularity of the JDM cars worldwide for its stunning drifting animations and stellar Eurobeat soundtrack, resulting in countless memes on social media platforms and people showcasing their new AE86 builds.
Fast and Furious actor Sung Kang ‘trying’ to direct an Initial D movie
Gallop, Studio Comet
In an interview with the South China Morning Post newspaper, Sung Kang revealed that he has two upcoming projects in the making with one of them being the Initial D live adaptation.
Additionally, he shared his excitement and enthusiasm about the project and said:
“It’s packed with thrilling elements like high-speed cars and intense drifting. It’s going to be a movie in the spirit of ‘Rocky’ or ‘The Karate Kid.’ This is a high-budget production, and it’s my way of expressing my deep passion for cars.”
Kang doesn’t hide his love for cars, so we believe that the live adaptation of one of Japan’s most iconic franchises is in good hands! He first ventured into film and direction in 2012 with the miniseries “Acting for Action with Sung Kang.”
He said that the project is not yet green-lit but the actor stated his love for cars and that he’s “trying” to develop the film and direct it.
What is Initial D about?
Gallop, Studio Comet
Initial D tells the story of Takumi Fujiwara, a man with no knowledge of street racing or cars and the son of a tofu shop owner.
He is given the task of delivering tofu every morning without fail in Japan’s Akina Mountain and is always reminded of the tiring routine he faces every day.
One night, a team of street racers known as the Red Suns meet head-to-head with an old Toyota AE86 driven by the one and only Takumi Fujiwara, and to their surprise, he overtakes one of their aces while driving back from Akina Mountain leaving them in disbelief.
Watch Initial D on Crunchyroll here.
