Ron Perlman will play the bad guy in Snoot Entertainment's hybrid martial arts movie "Bunraku," which Guy Moshe is directing from his own script. Japanese actors Gackt and Shun Sugata also have been cast in the international-flavored movie, which features Josh Hartnett, Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson, Scottish actor Kevin McKidd and Spanish actor Jordi Molla.

The film is set in a hyperstylized universe a la "Sin City" and draws from a mixed bag of genres, including puppets, origami, comic books, video games and German expressionism. It follows a drifter (Hartnett) who teams with a samurai (Gackt) to take on an Eastern European gang lord, played by Perlman ("Hellboy").

"I've always loved movies in the 'no-name stranger coming to town and ending up in a bigger struggle (genre),' " Snoot's Keith Calder said. "I think this is an opportunity to take this genre and spin it on its head and bring a unique and strong visual style to it."

Calder and Jessica Wu are producing along with Nava Levin of Picturesque Films and Ram Bergman. Alex McDowell is co-producing the film.

Perlman is repped by Kritzer Levine Wilkins Entertainment.

Ron Perlman cast in 'Bunraku'

Will play the villain in the hybrid martial arts movie

By Borys Kit

May 9, 2008, 01:00 AM