The big-budget film "Shizumanu Taiyo," directed by Setsuro Wakamatsu ("Whiteout"), had its main cast recently revealed. The movie was initially announced in December, with actor Ken Watanabe as the star.

The movie is based on Toyoko Yamasaki's novel about the chair of an airline labor union (Watanabe) and his battle against the company. The story is modeled after real-life events during the 1980s.

Tomokazu Miura is co-starring as Watanabe's main antagonist. Oher cast members include Yasuko Matsuyuki as a cabin crew member, Kyoka Suzuki as Watanabe's wife, and Koji Ishizaka as the airline president.

Filming took place overseas for about a month, and the rest of the movie is now being shot in Japan. It is expected to wrap up in June, and the final cut is scheduled for theatrical release on October 24. Expectations are high for the movie, as its budget is roughly 2 billion yen for a 3-hour picture.