Hayden Christensen is starring in Beast of Bataan, the true story of the trial of Masaharu Homma, the Japanese general who was implicated in the Bataan Death March.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jonathan Sanger and Sarah Black will produce the period indie along with Christensen’s production company Forest Park Pictures, headed by Tove Christensen.
Koji Yakusho, known to American audiences as the father of Rinko Kikuchi’s character in Babel, is in negotiations to portray Homma. Willem Dafoe and William Hurt also are in talks to join the film, which will be directed by Fred Schepisi.
Christensen is playing Homma’s young lawyer, trying his first case and fighting against the death penalty for his client, who is being tried for war crimes by U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
Chris Carlson and Mark Jean wrote the screenplay. The independently financed production is eyeing a February start date in Australia.
