Cape Town - American actor Chadwick Boseman has bagged yet another potential blockbuster deal, but this time he’ll be playing a historical figure: 16th century samurai Yasuke.
The flick will centre around the black swordsman who was trained by Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga and who was possibly the only person of non-Asian origin to ever become a samurai, reports Variety.
This won’t be the actor’s first time portraying a historical figure either, Chadwick played legendary singer James Brown in Get on Up (2014), baseball player Jackie Robinson in 42 (2013) and lawyer Thurgood Marshall in Marshall (2017). It seems the 41-year-old has quite a knack for portraying iconic figures.
Speaking to Deadline, Chadwick said he was excited to be part of a production that celebrates black excellence and history. "The legend of Yasuke is one of history’s best kept secrets, the only person of non-Asian origin to become a Samurai," he said.
"That’s not just an action movie, that’s a cultural event, an exchange, and I am excited to be part of it."
The movie will be penned by Narcos co-creator Doug Miro and produced by Erik Feig’s Picturestart.
