Details of the production were announced at the Nikkatsu Studios in Chofu City, with the press invited on the soundstages.
Kitano, also known for his paintings, found inspiration in past canvas embarrassments for the bittersweet life story of a talentless artist and the family and friends that support him along the way.
Kitano plays the lead role in the present day scenes with Kanako Higuchi (Memories Of Tomorrow) as his wife. Yurei Yanagi, who starred in Kitano's Boiling Point 18 years ago, and Kumiko Aso (Dororo) play the respective characters in their younger years.
Achilles And The Tortoise went into production in mid-February, with Kitano alternating one-week periods between acting in the lead role and directing duties. Kitano also wrote the original screenplay. Shooting has included location work in the Kanto region and Okayama Prefecture and is expected to wrap in the next week.
While Kitano's previous effort, 2007's Glory To The Filmmaker, got considerable press at home and overseas, even having an award named after it at last year's Venice Film Festival, domestic box office returns were disappointing. 2005's Takeshis' also failed financially and critically. 'After my last two films, I'm approaching this one more seriously. Sometimes I want to make movies that pack audiences in,' stated the multi-faceted talent.
Kitano's previous achievements include a Golden Lion for 1997's Hana-bi in Venice, where Kitano has won several other prizes and nominations. Kikujiro competed for the Palme d'Or in 1999 and period actioner Zatoichi won the People's Choice award in Toronto in 2003.
Achilles And The Tortoise is slated for release this autumn.
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