Netflix Reveals 14 New Cast Members for Gas Man Series
The casting of Kaku and Aoki via "reverse offer" signals that talent demand for this Netflix-Toho collaboration is high enough that actors are proactively seeking roles, not merely accepting them.
Reporting from 2 sources: Eiga Natalie, Cinema Today.
Netflix has announced 14 additional cast members for its upcoming series "Gas Man," a reboot of Toho's 1960 tokusatsu film "The Gas Man First Number." The new additions include Takao Aoki, Kaoru Sakurai, Takashi Okabe, Pierre Taki, Shuhei Nomura, Ayumu Nakajima, Yuya Matsuura, Motoki Kobayashi, Kento Kaku, Masahiro Takashima, Mei Nagano, Hideko Hara, Hideo Nakano, and Yui Natsukawa. Kaku and Aoki were cast through a "reverse offer" after they expressed strong interest in appearing. The series follows an unprecedented murder case where a human suddenly expands and explodes during a live TV program, with the culprit being a "Gas Man" who can transform his body into gas. Shun Oguri and Aoi Yu play Detective Kenji Okamoto and Reporter Kyoko Kono, who pursue the Gas Man. Suzu Hirose, Kento Hayashi, and Yutaka Takenouchi also appear, while UTA makes his acting debut as the Gas Man. The 8-episode series is directed by Shinzo Katayama, with Yeon Sang-ho serving as executive producer and co-writer. It will stream globally on Netflix starting July 2.
Kaku Kento and Aoki Munetaka were cast through a "reverse offer" after they expressed strong desire to appear, according to Cinema Today. The series is a reboot of Toho's 1960 tokusatsu film "The Gas Man First Number," which was directed by Honda Ishiro, the creator of "Godzilla." The original film follows a man who gains the ability to turn his body into gas through biological experiments and his tragic love.
Shinzo Katayama, known for "The Misogynists" and the series "Gannibal," directs the 8-episode series. Yeon Sang-ho, director of the Korean film "Train to Busan," serves as executive producer and co-writer with Ryu Yong-jae. VFX is handled by Shirogumi, the studio known for "Godzilla Minus One."
Among the new cast, Kaoru Sakurai plays Hiroki Obata, the facility manager of the resting place "Umikaze" who harbors a secret from the past. Pierre Taki plays Mamoru Sakamoto, the Superintendent General of the Metropolitan Police Department, who is toyed with by the Gas Man. Takashi Okabe plays Takeshi Miura, the Governor of Tokyo, who is busy dealing with the Gas Man. Takao Aoki plays Shinya Okamoto, Kenji's deceased father and a former colleague of Sakamoto. Masahiro Takashima plays Director Goro, a video director with a passionate following. Kento Kaku plays Kenta, a host who serves Hanaho, played by Suzu Hirose. Mei Nagano plays Mimi, a former underground idol. Hideko Hara plays Sakamoto's wife. Hideo Nakano plays Saburo Otomo, a yakuza boss targeted by the Gas Man. Yui Natsukawa plays Kazumi Kirishima, who competes with Miura in the gubernatorial election. Shuhei Nomura plays the younger version of Yasutoshi Mori, a former yakuza turned listed company president played by Yutaka Takenouchi. Ayumu Nakajima plays the past version of facility manager Obata. Yuya Matsuura plays Riki, Otomo's son. Motoki Kobayashi plays Inspector Yoshida of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Eiga Natalie Netflix「ガス人間」に青木崇高、ピエール瀧、中島歩、賀来賢人、森川葵、中野英雄ら14名
- Cinema Today Netflix「ガス人間」新キャスト14名一挙発表 賀来賢人＆青木崇高ら“逆オファー”で出演