Blitz Bazawule Set To Direct ‘The Black Samurai’ Film
Director Blitz Bazawule has a new project in the works. An exclusive report from Variety‘s Angelique Jackson confirms the acclaimed filmmaker is bringing a historic story to the big screen. The 41-year-old’s next move is exploring the legendary Yasuke, an African warrior who became the first Black samurai.
According to the outlet, the project is tentatively named Black Samurai. Bazawule wrote the screenplay and will direct and produce under his Inward Gaze banner. It is described as not taking the route of a traditional biopic, but instead drawing inspiration from 300 and Ma[d] Max. Warner Bros. beat out multiple studios and streaming platforms for The Black Samurai script.
The film adds to Bazawule’s resume which includes his 2018 debut The Burial Of Kojo, episodes of Ava DuVernay’s Cherish the Day, Beyoncé’s 2020 visual album Black Is King, and 2023’s acclaimed The Color Purple musical.
“All we ever need, all we ever want is to belong. And coming to Hollywood and finding this family, I mean that’s it. Because the story can be very different based on who you interface with. So yes, I will say that is absolutely my ‘Look what God has done’ moment,” shared Bazawule with VIBE of last year’s blockbuster.
According to Smithsonian Magazine, “Yasuke was an African warrior in the employ of Nobunaga, a powerful feudal lord known as the “Great Unifier,” during Japan’s Sengoku period.” While not much is known about his early life, it’s possible Yasuke was enslaved and trafficked as a child.
“Yasuke crossed geographic, cultural and linguistic barriers to create—whether by necessity or design—a new life in a foreign land,” detailed a University of Oxford historian to the outlet.
The Netflix anime series Yasuke explores the story with several mystical elements. LaKeith Stanfield voices the historical figure in the cartoon. Additionally, in 2019, Deadline reported a film on Yasuke was due, with the late Chadwick Boseman attached in the starring role. According to Smithsonian, the project has stalled following Boseman’s death in 2020.
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