Samuel L. Jackson is back for more anime awesomeness as the voice of Spike TV’s Afro Samurai in Afro Samurai: Resurrection, an original movie set to premiere in January. Emmy Award-nominated actress Lucy Liu (Kung Fu Panda, Kill Bill) joins the fun this time, and The RZA is back on board to provide the original score for the movie, produced by Japanese studio GONZO in association with GDH K.K. FUNimation Ent. Recently acquired the home video, master toy and merchandising rights.
Created by manga artist Takashi Okazaki, Afro Samurai is the story of a black samurai’s quest for revenge and justice for his murdered father. In Resurrection, the antihero is forced to pick up his sword again take on an army of deadly foes when his father’s body is stolen from the grave. Liu voices the role of Sio, a beautiful, seductive and sadistic mastermind plotting to destroy Afro Samurai. Other cast members include Mark Hamill (Star Wars) as Bin, Sio’s manservant and protector, and Yuri Lowenthal as Kuma, the teddy bear-headed warrior from the original Afro Samurai series.
Spike.com and Afrosamurai.com will air a sneak peek of the trailer for Afro Samurai: Resurrection starting Thursday, July 24 at 8:15 p.m. (ET), immediately following its world premiere debut at Comic-Con in San Diego. The franchise is also going interactive with a video game set for release in 2009 from Namco Bandai Games America Inc. The title will be available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation3. For more information on the TV series and game, go to www.afrosamurai.com and http://www.namcobandaigames.com.
