The streets of Shinjuku are about to get busier. Following a successful first season, Netflix’s live-action film adaptation of City Hunter is getting a continuation, with a global premiere set for 2027. The sequel news was announced on protagonist Ryo Saeba’s birthday, 26 March.
Ryohei Suzuki (Segodon) will return as the sharp-shooting private “sweeper”, alongside Morita Misato (Rental Family) as partner and heroine Kaori Makimura. Fumino Kimura (Zeni no Sensō) is also stepping back into her role as the quick-witted detective Saeko Nogami, while Keiichiro Shiraki, who helmed the first movie, is set to direct from a script by Junpei Yamaoka.
Plot details were not disclosed, but the streamer states that the sequel will “further explore and elevate the distinctive world of the beloved original manga.”
“The previous film depicted the origin story between Ryo and Kaori. In this sequel, we’re delivering what you might call the City Hunter — the most quintessential version of City Hunter yet,” added Suzuki.
Released in 2024, the action pic topped Netflix’s Global Top 10 (Non-English Films) chart in its opening week, becoming one of the most notable Japanese-language films in recent times. In the wake of its release, sales for Hojo Tsukasa’s original work increased ninefold, and location shooting at industrial heritage sites added around 129 million yen (US$811,000) to the local economy.
The official description is as follows:
“City Hunter follows Ryo Saeba, a so-called sweeper, or mercenary, who trails assailants and solves cases in the shadows of Shinjuku, Tokyo. After accepting a job to find a missing cosplayer, he and his private-eye partner Hideyuki chase down a woman who may have answers. The woman, carrying two vials of a mysterious blue substance, gets away — but something’s off about her. She has veins bulging out of her neck, and she barrels across rooftops like a supervillain. Later that night, Hideyuki meets his sister, Kaori, for dinner. There, another creepy, crazed person attacks and kills Hideyuki — and neither Kaori nor Ryo are able to save him. As the two team up to find out why Hideyuki ended up dead, Hideyuki’s former co-worker Detective Saeko Nogami investigates whether a powerful crime syndicate is to blame.“
The manga has sold more than 50 million copies since its 1985 debut, spawning four anime television series, three anime television specials, three made-for-television animated films, two animated feature films for theatrical release, video games, a live-action Korean TV drama starring Lee Min-ho, and more.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
