Owls' Castle (梟の城, Fukurō no Shiro) is a 1999 Japanese ninja-themed jidaigeki film directed by Masahiro Shinoda.[1][2] It was co-written by Shinoda and Katsuo Naruse, and stars Kiichi Nakai It is the second adaptation of Ryōtarō Shiba's 1959 novel Fukurō no Shiro,[3] the first being the 1963 film Castle of Owls.[4]
| Owls' Castle | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Masahiro Shinoda |
| Written by | Masahiro Shinoda Katsuo Naruse |
| Starring | Kiichi Nakai Mayu Tsuruta Riona Hazuki |
| Cinematography | Tatsuo Suzuki |
| Music by | Joji Yuasa |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Toho |
Release date |
|
Running time | 138 minutes |
| Language | Japanese |
| Budget | ¥1,300,000,000 |
Cast
- Kiichi Nakai as Jūzō Tsuzura
- Takaya Kamikawa as Gohei Kazama
- Mayu Tsuruta as Kohagi
- Riona Hazuki as Kisaru
- Shōhei Hino as Kuroami
- Akiji Kobayashi
- Akira Nakao
- Mako Iwamatsu as Toyotomi Hideyoshi
- Jinpachi Nezu as Hattori Hanzō
- Kinnosuke Hannayagi as Ishida Mitsunari
- Shima Iwashita
- Masahiko Tsugawa
- Atsuo Nakamura
Production
Nintendo was a production partner on the film, and the use of special effects and computer-generated imagery was widely touted in the film's marketing.[4]
Awards and accolades
- Nikkan Sports Film Awards: Ishihara Yujiro Award (1999).
- Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival: Best Director - Masahiro Shinoda (2000).
- Japanese Academy Awards: Best Art Direction - Yoshinobu Nishioka (2000).[5] The film also received nine Japanese Academy Award nominations.
