Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo Opens October 23, a Tokyo Crime Investigation Drama Where Two Cases Converge

Takashi Miike's Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo is a suspense action film about a disgraced detective in Shinjuku's Kabukicho and an FBI agent investigating linked murder and disappearance cases. It opens theat

A corrupt detective and an FBI agent pursue separate cases before entering the darkness of the same city. Directed by Takashi Miike, Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo opens theatrically in Japan on October 23, 2026, interweaving two strands of a criminal investigation set in Tokyo within a single narrative.

The Detective in Kabukicho and the FBI Agent

Detective Kyoji Yabuki (Shun Oguri), who works in Shinjuku’s Kabukicho district, is caught up in drugs and gambling and faces threats from the yakuza. When a series of murders targeting yakuza members takes place, he identifies Mitsuru Ishizuka (Shotaro Mamiya) as a suspect based on tattoos found on the bodies. This premise follows the clue-tracing structure of a traditional detective story, but the fact that the investigator himself is falling apart changes the tension surrounding the case.

The Additional Thread of a Missing-Person Case

FBI agent Gwen (Lily James), who has come from the United States, works with Yabuki to find the daughter of the next U.S. president (Liv Morgan), who has disappeared in Japan. The series of murders and the disappearance, which initially appear unrelated, become intricately entangled deep within Kabukicho. The contrast between one investigation targeting a local criminal organization and the other centered on an international figure makes the point where the two cases meet a key element to watch.

Japanese Production and International Distribution

The project brings the DNA of the 1992 film *Bad Lieutenant* to Tokyo, with a screenplay by Daisuke Tengan. BLT TOKYO LIMITED and OLM participated in the production, while Sony Pictures Entertainment is handling Japanese distribution and NEON is handling North American distribution. The film’s international co-production character is also reflected in its lineup, which combines a Japanese-language crime movie with British actor Lily James and American professional wrestler Liv Morgan.