Under his new alias, Rindo Wachinaga, Japanese film icon, JJ Sonny Chiba, who used to go by the name Sonny Chiba, whose real name is Chiba Shinichi... you know, forget all that. Dude is making movies now. That's all you really need to know.
The title of his first project has been announced, Za Toichi. It points to the influential series of Japanese television and movies and suggests it 'can be read as "The Toichi," where "toichi" is a common abbreviation of the phrase "tooka de ichiwari," referring to illegal loans that charge 10% interest for every 10 days'.
His lead has already been announced as well, actor Ginji Yoshikawa, who appears to have only one film to his credit, the Steven Seagal vehicle, Into the Sun [directed by a guy, Christopher Wingfield, who'd rather call himself mink, I kid you not]. He will play a moneylender who, like the swordsman Zatoichi, is blind, and there is the more obvious tie-in with the aforementioned series. That's a lot of film for a seemingly inexperienced actor to take on. Trust the Rindo. Trust the Rindo. Say it with me and everything will be alright. Trust the Rindo.
So despite our reports in the late Fall saying otherwise this appears to be his first project. Rindo/Chiba also wrote the script for his film which will begin shooting in April and possibly targeting a Fall release date.
Chiba promoted an actor like Hiroyuki Sanada, so you can be damn sure that i trust the man about his choices in terms of actors.
Yoshikawa's experience is mainly in V-Cinema. He appeared in several of the "Don e no Michi" series, and the rest of his filmography includes "Bouryoku Shoubai 2" and some other yakuza films. I haven't personally seen his acting, but he doesn't seem to be inexperienced.
Interestingly enough, Yoshikawa made the news last year as he was apparently involved in the Kenji Haga extortion case, but in the end he wasn't prosecuted.
Fair enough. I went Googling for the man and did not find a lot of info. Bring it on Rindo!