The latest movie project for actor Sanada Hiroyuki (46) sees him captaining a spaceship. In “Sunshine 2057” he plays the captain of a ship that sets out to re-ignite the dying sun 50 years into the future. The movie is directed by Danny Boyle, of “Trainspotting” fame, and written by Alex Garland. The pair teamed up previously on the movie adaptation of Garland’s novel “The Beach”. Sanada appeared at a PR event in Tokyo yesterday along with co-star Cillian Murphy (32), who praised the cooking and guitar skills that Sanada displayed during the making of the movie. Another major Asian name among the ensemble cast is actress Michelle Yeoh.
• British rock band The Police are coming to Japan for the first time in 27 years. Drummer Stewart Copeland (54) was in Tokyo yesterday promoting his documentary “Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out”. He announced that the band, recently reformed 30 years after their debut and 23 years after they split, will play dates in Japan next February. The shows will be at the tail end of their upcoming world tour, due to start in Vancouver on May 28.