Hiroyuki Sanada Talks Bullet Train, John Wick 4, and Sonny Chiba

With director David Leitch’s fantastic new movie, Bullet Train, opening in theaters later this week, I recently got to speak with Hiroyuki Sanada about making the action-thriller. During the interview, he talked about why he wanted to be part of Bullet Train, how they filmed most of the movie on a soundstage on the Sony backlot (you won’t believe it after you see the film), what it was like working with Sonny Chiba early in his career, and his role and character in John Wick 4.
If you haven’t seen the trailers, Bullet Train was adapted from the Japanese mystery-fiction book Bullet Train written by Kōtarō Isaka, the Japanese best-selling and award-winning novelist. Just like the novel, the movie takes place in Japan on the titular bullet train on a trip from Tokyo to Morioka. On the train there are a number of assassins whose assignments are very much interconnected, though they don’t know this until things start to go haywire when the assassins start trying to kill each other.
Loaded with inventive action set pieces, a script that will keep you guessing, and fantastic performances from the entire cast, Bullet Train is absolutely worth seeing in a movie theater. The film stars Brad Pitt, Joey King, Andrew Koji, Brian Tyree Henry, Zazie Beetz, Michael Shannon, Logan Lerman, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hiroyuki Sanada, Masi Oka, Sandra Bullock, and Benito A Martínez Ocasio aka Bad Bunny.
Watch what Sanada had to say in the player above, and below is exactly what we talked about.
Hiroyuki Sanada
What was it like working with Sonny Chiba early in his career?
How the script keeps you guessing and off balance.
How they shot most of the movie on a soundstage on the Sony backlot in Los Angeles.
What can he tease about his role and character in John Wick 4?
#BulletTrain #HiroyukiSanada #JohnWick4
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[@christinee.7746]

Good grief 61 years old and the guy is still so unbelievably handsome.

[@donnau3735]

The most Gorgeous male on the planet!!

[@alexlazzerly3677]

The fact that it's confirmed we're getting a fight scene between him and Donnie Yen is honestly enough to sell me on John Wick 4.

[@mikawright9619]

Hiroyuki Sanada, is still charmered today 💞💞💞💞💞

[@isaacyeon6334]

Hiroyuki Sanada was one of my top favorite characters in Bullet Train, the fact that he is now in John Wick 4 is absolutely amazing and makes me even more excited, RIP Sonny Chiba, he was a great action actor

[@Brook11223]

Hiroyuki Sanada is on a role this year with Bullet Train and next year with John Wick Chapter 4 helping Wick get Revenge against the High Table and the face/off against Donnie Yen can't wait.

[@SixthDivison]

Donnie Yen? Oooohhhh its going to be EPIC!

[@ronaldlee7566]

Also me too can't wait.

[@isaacyeon6334]

@@SixthDivison and (if you know him) Scott Adkins

[@SixthDivison]

@@isaacyeon6334 oh yes Scott Adkins he's a wicked martial artist!

[@isaacyeon6334]

@@SixthDivison Also if you watched Undisputed 3, Dolor’s actor Marko Zaror is going to be in John Wick 4 as well

[@ChoqueChuncus]

One of my favourite actors. You gotta see him in Twilight Samurai. A small personal story but very well done

[@djnkosi]

Yes! It's an under-appreciated classic.

[@user-my3bi3oe8x]

ほんとうに！ 彼はもっと早く評価されるべき人だったと思います… ハリウッドでも、彼にオファーする監督は沢山いて、それは彼の実力を認めているから… なのに、結局の所、主役ではなく、物語をより際立たせる為に彼を起用するのです… もっときちんと評価されるべきですね！

[@crispybits3765]

A seriously talented human being. Love his work.

[@snakey319]

So happy he speaks of Sonny, an icon

[@ronaldlee7566]

His Sensei and mentor. Because he studied Kyokushin Karate and Shorinji Kempo (Japanese modified Shaolin Kung Fu) under the late and great Sonny Chiba🙏👊👍🕊

[@cyborgchicken3502]

Sonny Chiba was literally the guy that helped him start his career, he owes a lot to Sonny Chiba....he even acted alongside him in a few of his earliest films like Roaring Fire, Shogun's Ninja and Legend of the 8 Samurai

[@ronaldlee7566]

@@cyborgchicken3502 Very true Ma'am/Sir👍

[@ronaldlee7566]

@@cyborgchicken3502 Very true Ma'am/Sir👍

[@redbarchetta8782]

We're lucky to have the talent of Hiroyuki Sanada to watch. JW4 will be epic.

[@vallygailhard2562]

I find this Man is a master of elegance and undisputed class.

[@user-uh6li8rd8o]

真田さんのインタビュー動画嬉しいです✨待ってました！!

[@agathalovehiroforever1154]

exciting to see Hiro, after long days without information...

[@antoinettelopes]

I've liked him since seeing him in THE LAST SAMURAI. He still so handsome. 😍Can't wait to see both BULLET TRAIN and JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4. 🙏🏼

[@carmay3600]

Me too. He is one of my favorite actors. 🙂

[@yuuri5160]

Yes.He is so handsome and so amazing😍

[@chasehedges6775]

Bullet Train looks awesome and John Wick 4 looks fantastic

[@faust650]

Sonny Chiba walked so that Hiroyuki Sanada could fly. Two of the greatest action stars ever to come out of Japan! 🇯🇵

[@na0228]

As a Japanese to see him succeed in Hollywood is such a proud moment. I still remember the days I watched him in Japan doing soap opera. I think it's about time for him to bring that side of him, just like a regular dad or something. Not all Asians are Yakuza and killing people lol We Asians are badass for sure though. Go 真田広之!!

[@jonlava173]

Great interview! Long overdue! Big fan of Sanada-sama and Chiba-sama.

[@tylerpurrden]

Bullet Train has a stupidly good cast - this guy and Brian Tyree Henry and Bad Bunny, oh yeah and Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock and...cannot wait. Have been a Hiroyuki fan since The Last Samurai and Sunshine is one of my favorite movies of all time

[@user-cl3tj1yl7z]

千葉さんとの関係から面白かった。《Bullet Train》楽しみです👏 どちらも聞き取りやすい英語で勉強にもなりました！ 別にネイティヴ発音じゃなくても中身が重要だと改めて理解できました

[@kyokusanagi6611]

真田広之さん🙏

[@carveraugustus3840]

Legend

[@user-yu3cn2st7c]

🥰🥰🥰🥰💘

[@user-sj1fw5fx9r]

一番最初に、千葉真一さんとの師弟関係の話を尋ねられた事に、少しビックリしました。この映画の内容とは直接、関係が無いからです。 千葉真一さんがいなければ、真田さんも日本でアクションスターになっていないし、ハリウッドへの挑戦も無かったかもしれないので、運命って不思議な物だと思いました。

[@JjayR1616]

New subscriber here! It’s a great interview.

[@philsibayan9815]

I hope he returns in John Wick 5 he is a great addition to the JW universe

[@user-br9wx4lf6o]

Idol

[@nenabunena]

He has 3 films with Sonny Chiba playing his son in the yakuza film. Only the 1st film is bw, the other 2 is colored. They're a very good trilogy of films. Their chemistry is great and Sonny Chiba never looked better! Highly recommended!

[@cyborgchicken3502]

Have you seen the samurai films he did with Sonny Chiba? Shogun's Ninja and Legend of the 8 Samurai? Ooh and Roaring Fire

[@nenabunena]

@@cyborgchicken3502 yes I believe so. I've seen a lot of his films actually but his films as a little boy were really the ones I love

[@damaniqphillip2756]

Wow 🤩

[@MusicWorldVNT]

Guys go watch Ninja In Dragon’s Den. I grew up with that film. I lost track of Hiroyuki long time ago cause I didn’t have access to his film. Ninja In Dragon’s Den was my only access to Hiroyuki as a kid. I never knew he made it to Hollywood even after I saw him in Rush Hour 3 and western film. It blew my mind when I searched him up for Avengers Endgame and found out that he was the same actor I watched as a kid in Ninja In Dragon’s Den.

[@cyborgchicken3502]

Yoooo go look up the stuff he did in Japan, if u liked Ninja in the Dragons Den, you'll love Roaring Fire and Shogun's Ninja....and he went back to Hong Kong and did another movie with Michelle Yeoh called Royal Warriors

[@MusicWorldVNT]

@@cyborgchicken3502 thanks will do

[@Jose-ze8xz]

Question Is John Wick 5 gonna happen or is 4 gonna be the final film

[@dianaswistowich513]

He's perfect 😍🥵

[@thumbsaloft]

He's WAY OVERDUE for his very own MARTIAL ARTS MOVIE! His SWORD SKILLS are known but his HAND TO HAND SKILLS need to be showcased!

[@cyborgchicken3502]

My guy! He's beeeen in his own martial arts movies....just not in Hollywood....but go look up his Asian film career...homie started acting in his own films since the late 70s....check out Roaring Fire where he acts alongside Sonny Chiba, Ninja in the Dragons Den, Shogun's Ninja also alongside Sonny Chiba who plays the villain and Royal Warriors where he plays a Japanese cop in Hong Kong alongside Michelle Yeoh....he kicks ass in all these films!

[@thumbsaloft]

@@cyborgchicken3502 My guy! I know all about his Asian movies, I'm talking it's way past time he had his own major Hollywood movie! I felt the same about SONNY CHIBA! I thought Tarantino would showcase him in Kill Bill, imagine my disappointment when all he did was have him talk?! You've got the great Sonny Chiba and all you do is have him talk?! Tarantino seriously dropped the ball!

[@dulcemunoz4152]

😍❤️‍🔥💓💞💘💕💌 ..me expreso por los emojis..no puedo hablar....🌡️🔥..más que un hombre....(desmayo)..

[@mapagmasidtv]

Yes i was 3 years old when message from space i first watch it , after that me and my playmates will imitate the the jumps i jump so high that i landed face down and 3 teeth knocked off my jaw 😂😂😂😂😂