EPICANTHUS

Hoping that it will exceed Marley & Me’s $100 million box office gross, Richard Gere’s Hachiko: A Dog’s Story is a rip-off an American retelling of of one of the most famous stories in contemporary Japan and marks Gere’s second project in five years involving the repurposing of Japanese source material. He starred in the remake of Japan’s Dansu Wo Shimasho Ka (Shall We Dance?) in 2004.

The Gere-produced, Lasse Hallstrom-directed redux switches the setting from 1930s Japan to Rhode Island and tells the story of the relationship between a college professor and his faithful Akita dog. The strong bond between the two continues even after death, with the faithful dog waiting for the return of his master every evening for ten years. Ooh, so adorable.

Richard Gere, 59, was in Tokyo July 7 to meet the real star of his latest movie. He visited Shibuya station and the statue of Hachiko that was erected in 1948. He portrays Prof. Parker in the remake.

Gere’s version was premiered at this year’s Seattle International Film Festival in June. A version with Japanese subtitles will open in Japan on August 8. The film, which costars Joan Allen and Jason Alexander, is set to open in American theaters around Thanksgiving.

• Faithful Dog Hachiko, Wikipedia
• Gere: Dog is Hero in Film About Japan Tale by Yuri Kageyama
• Statue of Faithful Dog Hachiko Experiences Ups and Downs, Nichi Bei Times
• Hachiko: Yakusoku no Inu, official site