Sonny Chiba, who has changed his stage name to JJ Sonny Chiba, has revealed his first project as a movie director. Using his newly created alias of Rindo Wachinaga, he is directing and writing a film called "Za Toichi," an obvious play on the famous work "Zatoichi."

The title can be read as "The Toichi," where "toichi" is a common abbreviation of the phrase "tooka de ichiwari," referring to illegal loans that charge 10% interest for every 10 days. The protagonist, played by V-Cinema actor Ginji Yoshikawa, is a moneylender who, like the swordsman Zatoichi, is blind.

Chiba (as Wachinaga) is directing and writing the script, and there is a possibility that he will co-star with Yoshikawa under his acting name.

The film's budget is reportedly 200 million yen. Filming is scheduled to begin in April, followed by a possible release in the fall.

Teen actress Kie Kitano has been selected to be the heroine in the "Gegege no Kitaro" live-action movie sequel that was announced earlier this month. She will play a shy member of a high school marching band who helps the Kitaro family solve a series of mysterious disappearances. Her character is the only human girl among the main cast.

Directed by Katsuhide Motoki, the film is scheduled to open in theaters this summer.

Comedian Hitori Gekidan has his first starring drama role in a Fuji TV special titled "Ware wa Gogh ni Naru!" The show depicts the early years of the famous woodblock artist Shiko Munakata, who passed away in 1975. Actress Yu Kashii will play his wife.

Filming began on Saturday. Fuji TV plans to broadcast the drama this summer.