Photo by Emmanuel Guimier

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Omar Sy is being considered to play the role of Yasuke, an enslaved African who became a samurai in feudal Japan as a comrade-in-arms to the legendary Oda Nobunaga.

The Yasuke series will draw on Craig Shreve’s soon-to-be published novel African Samurai, which 21 Laps optioned for source material. It’s all part of a five-part live-action series that Netflix is developing with screenwriter Nick Jones, Jr.

, who’d written its anime adaptation of Yasuke in 2021.

“Getting a chance to finally bring Yasuke’s legendary true story to life has been a dream of mine ever since I served in Japan as a Marine,” Jones told reporters.

Executive producers for the proposed series include Jones and Sy as well as Shawn Levy, Forest Whitaker, and Nina Yang Bongiovi, working under the banner of 21 Laps.



Bongiovi expressed enthusiasm for the series, declaring that “This is the perfect project for what Forest and I strive for — the intersectionality of two cultures through great storytelling, To bring a real-life, historical figure to the forefront, paired with incredible action, with faces that represent both Black and Asian heritage — behind the camera and in front of the camera — equates a total dream scenario.”

Omar Sy is a 44-year-old French actor who came to prominence in 2011 for his role in the comedy-drama film The Intouchables. He most recently appeared in the Netflix series Lupin (2021-present) and The Takedown (2022). He was quoted as saying “I’ve been inspired by Yasuke for quite a while, With this superb team, we are creating a remarkable series showcasing what it meant to be an African samurai in Japanese history. The action sequences alone are going to be phenomenal and ingenious.”

The Yasuke story has been featured in various manga, anime, and video games. The character was voiced by Lakeith Stanfield in an English-language anime.

In 2019, producers Erik Feig and Michael De Luca announced  plans for a feature film with the late Chadwick Boseman in the title role.

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