Matthew Fox Goes Back To An Island, Starring In Post-WW2 Japan-Set Drama 'Emperor'

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by Oliver Lyttelton
January 4, 2012 10:44 AM
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You know what's interesting about Matthew Fox? That he's actually managing to carve out a fairly interesting post-"Lost" career. Breaking out of a global TV smash like that sci-fi series isn't the easiest thing in the world, as David Duchovny's film career will attest to, but Fox started to lay the ground work when the show was still on, with parts in films like "Vantage Point" and "Speed Racer," and after taking a little time off since "Lost" wrapped up a couple of years back, he's making his way back onto the big screen again.

First up for Fox is a role as a killer in "I, Alex Cross," which sees Tyler Perry inherit Morgan Freeman's detective boots as the titular hero, followed by a supporting turn with Brad Pitt in Marc Forster's "World War Z," but it looks like he's just landed his first post-Jack Shephard lead, as Variety report that Fox has signed on to the post-WW2 thriller "Emperor." The film, helmed by Peter Webber ("The Girl With The Pearl Earring," "Hannibal Rising"), blends a romance with a drama involving the question of whether Emperor Hirohito, Japan's wartime leader, should be prosecuted for war crimes.

Fox will play General Bonner Fellers, who is tasked with making the decision, but is distracted by his search for the Japanese girl he fell in love with back in the States before the war. The script comes from David Klass ("Kiss The Girls") and Vera Blasi ("Woman On Top"), while Fellers Film and Krasnoff/Foster Entertainment are producing.

The project sounds like a bit of an oddity, to be honest. It's potentially dramatic source material, but one that we worry could be pretty dry with Fox in the lead and Webber at the helm. But we suppose "Emperor" could end up surprising. Filming will get underway later in the month in New Zealand and Japan, with more casting set to be announced soon.

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JustinA | January 5, 2012 12:43 AMReply

I love Matthew Fox, but I hope he challenges himself a bit more (hopefully with this role) and breaks away from the acting techniques he used while portraying Jack Shephard. I'm pretty excited about this.