New Odoru Daisousasen Movie Faces Production Uncertainty Amid Fuji TV Fallout

The new installment in the Odoru series is a light of hope

Fuji Television is still caught up in the ongoing controversy stemming from the sexual assault allegations against Masahiro Nakai (52) involving a former female announcer at the station. Following the third-party committee’s report, Fuji submitted its recidivism prevention plan to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on April 30, but whether CM sponsor companies will return their advertising remains uncertain.

At Fuji, they have been using the vacant commercial slots to heavily promote films they have invested in. The January release Under Ninja became a long-running hit thanks in large part to extensive CM exposure. However, there are growing concerns that future releases may not achieve similar success.

“The next scheduled release is Kak Kak Shikajika on May 16, but due to leading actress Mei Nagano (25) being reported over an alleged affair, promotional activities have been hampered. Looking at the slate of upcoming releases, the only likely buzz generator might be Black Shorman (set for September 12), based on a novel by Keigo Higashino and starring Masaharu Fukuyama (56),” said a Fuji insider.

The film that represents a beacon of hope for Fuji’s movie business is Odoru Daisousasen N.E.W., slated for release in 2026. It’s fresh in my memory that last year’s two-part new Odoru series films — Shinji Muroi: The Unbeaten and Shinji Muroi: The Survivors — were huge hits. These back-to-back films released in October and November starred popular series character Shinji Muroi, played by Toshirō Yanagiba (64).

“Although the conclusion was a surprise for fans of the series, the two films combined grossed about 3.6 billion yen. It clearly showed the enduring popularity of the Odoru series,” said an industry insider.

In December last year, it was announced that Odoru Daisousasen N.E.W. would premiere in 2026. If this film becomes a hit, it could serve as a trigger for Fuji’s recovery during these difficult times. However, at present, even the production of the movie itself is said to be in jeopardy.

Casting and other preparations have yet to be started

“The person taking overall command is Chihiro Kameyama (68), who made the series a big hit and served as Fuji Television’s president from 2013 to 2017, and then as president of BS Fuji from 2017. Currently, Kameyama is the only one within the company who can move the ‘Odoru’ project forward.

However, it was reported by Shukan Bunshun that on June 2, 2023—the same day the incident involving Mr. Nakai occurred—Kameyama was reprimanded for riding in a hired car accompanied by three beautiful female employees and dining at the home of a BS Fuji executive. At the Fuji Media Holdings shareholders’ meeting in June this year, executives affiliated with Hisashi Hieda (87) are expected to be purged from Fuji and its related companies. Since Kameyama became Fuji’s president as a protégé of Hieda, there are rumors that he may lose his position as well,” said a Fuji Television insider.

According to this insider, at the time of the production announcement, only Yuji Oda (57) was confirmed to star, and since the script had not yet been completed, casting had not even started. Moreover, Oda was appointed special ambassador for the “World Athletics 2025,” held in September and exclusively broadcast by TBS. He has been busy preparing for the event since the end of last year, so filming for the new “Odoru” series will likely start after he finishes that major role.

“Movies shot before the scandal are scheduled to be released sequentially, but other projects are currently on hold. Even when Oda’s schedule opens up after the World Athletics event, there is no guarantee that Fuji’s issues will have been fully resolved and preparations for filming completed. If Kameyama loses his position as president of BS Fuji, it could become impossible to proceed with production,” said the film industry insider.

Will the film make its scheduled release in 2026? Our magazine sent questions to Fuji Television but received no response by the deadline.

In last year’s “Muroi Shinji,” fans were delighted by the surprise appearance of the true protagonist, Shunsaku Aoshima, played by Oda, at the end of the second part of the two-part film. We hope for more good surprises from the “Odoru” series in the future.

 

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