Hidden Fortress: The Last Princess

{{Infobox film

| name = Hidden Fortress: The Last Princess

| image = Hidden Fortress - The Last Princess.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Shinji Higuchi

| producer = {{plainlist|

Minami Ichikawa
Seiji Okuda
Shōgo Tomiyama

}}

| writer = Kazuki Nakashima

| based_on = {{Based on|The Hidden Fortress|Akira Kurosawa|Ryūzō Kikushima|Hideo Oguni|Shinobu Hashimoto}}

| starring = {{plainlist|

}}

| music = Naoki Satō

| cinematography = Shoji Ehara

| editing = Sōichi Ueno

| studio = Toho
Cine Bazar

| distributor = Toho{{cite web |url=https://eiga.com/movie/53058 |script-title=ja:隠し砦の三悪人 THE LAST PRINCESS |accessdate=13 February 2019 |publisher=eiga.com |language=ja}}

| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2008|05|10|Japan}}

| runtime = 118 minutes

| country = Japan

| language = Japanese

| budget =

| gross = ¥930 million ($8.5 million){{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/intl/?page=&country=W1&id=_fKAKUSHITORIDENOS01 |title=Kakushi Toride no San Akunin - The Last Princess |accessdate=13 February 2019 |website=Box Office Mojo }}

}}

{{Nihongo|Hidden Fortress: The Last Princess{{cite web |title=Hidden Fortress: The Last Princess DVD – Compare Prices and View Trailer at Find-DVD.co.uk |url=https://www.find-dvd.co.uk/dvd/Hidden-Fortress-The-Last-Princess/1100400.htm |publisher=Medifusion |accessdate=18 June 2019}}|隠し砦の三悪人 {{Ruby|THE LAST PRINCESS|ザラストプリンセス}}|Kakushitoride no Sanakunin: Za Rasuto Purinsesu|{{literal translation|The Three Villains of the Hidden Fortress: The Last Princess}}|lead=yes}} is a 2008 Japanese film directed by Shinji Higuchi. A remake of the 1958 Akira Kurosawa film The Hidden Fortress, it was released on 10 May 2008.{{cite web |last=Schilling |first=Mark |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2008/05/09/films/film-reviews/kakushi-toride-no-san-akunin |title=Kakushi Toride no San Akunin |date=9 May 2008 |accessdate=14 February 2019 |work=The Japan Times}}{{cite web |url=https://eiga.com/news/20080508/3 |script-title=ja:松本潤＆長澤まさみ出演「隠し砦の三悪人」に早くも続編の構想が！ |date=8 May 2008 |accessdate=13 February 2019 |website=eiga.com |language=ja }}

Plot

Makabe Rokurota (Hiroshi Abe), a loyal retainer of Princess Yuki (Masami Nagasawa), has been commissioned to transport Yuki and Akizuki's ample treasury of gold bars safely to the politically stable Hayakawa. They disguise themselves as humble firewood peddlers, hiding the gold bars inside the logs they are carrying so as to pass safely through roadblocks set up by Yamana, which is under the control of Takayama Gyobu (Kippei Shiina), whose attire bears a striking resemblance to that of Darth Vader.

Along the way, Rokurota comes across Takezo (Jun Matsumoto) and Shimpachi (Daisuke Miyagawa), who have escaped from forced labor in a gold mine. Takezo and Shimpachi first frown on joining the journey, but eventually agree to help out in the hope of escaping Yamana's oppression and cashing in on the gold reward Rokurota offers them.{{citation needed|date=November 2018}}

Cast

{{Cast listing|

Jun Matsumoto as Takezo
Masami Nagasawa as Princess Yuki
Hiroshi Abe as Makabe Rokurota
Kippei Shiina as Takayama Kyobu
Daisuke Miyagawa as Shinpachi
Masahiro Kōmoto as Sagawa
Masahiro Takashima as Honjo
Jun Kunimura as Nagakura
Kreva as Kyobu's Samurai
Manami Kurose as Mitsu
Katsuhisa Namase as gambler
Arata Furuta as slave trader
Takaya Kamikawa as Captain

}}

Production

Principal photography began on 1 November 2007.{{cite web |url=https://eiga.com/news/20071029/2/ |script-title=ja:松本潤と長澤まさみで黒澤映画「隠し砦の三悪人」リメイク！ |date=29 October 2007 |accessdate=14 February 2019 |website=eiga.com |language=ja }} Filming locations included Mount Aso, Kumamoto Castle, Ibaraki Prefecture, and Shizuoka Prefecture.{{citation needed|date=November 2018}}

Release

The film premiered on 17 April 2008 at the Tokyo Dome City Hall, and was released theatrically in Japan on 10 May 2008.{{cite web |url=https://eiga.com/news/20080418/2/ |script-title=ja:すべらない舞台挨拶に2000人が爆笑！「隠し砦の三悪人」ジャパンプレミア |date=18 April 2008 |accessdate=13 February 2019 |website=eiga.com |language=ja }} An early screening was held on 27 April 2018 at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, garnering positive reactions from the audience.{{cite web |url=https://cinema.usc.edu/events/event.cfm?id=10426 |title=Los Angeles Premiere of Toho's HIDDEN FORTRESS: THE LAST PRINCESS |accessdate=14 February 2019 |work=USC Cinematic Arts }}{{cite web |url=https://eiga.com/news/20080512/6/ |script-title=ja:松本潤主演作「隠し砦の三悪人」カンヌ映画祭見本市へ！ |date=12 May 2008 |accessdate=14 February 2019 |website=eiga.com |language=ja }} It was screened at the Cannes Film Festival on 14 May 2008.{{cite web |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/54464/full/ |script-title=ja:『隠し砦の三悪人』舞台挨拶、松ジュンが宮川大輔に「なんで来たの?」 |date=10 May 2008 |accessdate=14 February 2019 |work=Oricon News |publisher=Oricon |language=ja }}

The Last Princess was released on DVD on 12 December 2008 in Japan. It charted at number four on the Oricon DVD chart.{{cite web |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/208063/products/789677/1/ |script-title=ja:隠し砦の三悪人 THE LAST PRINCESS スタンダード・エディション |accessdate=14 February 2019 |work=Oricon News |publisher=Oricon |language=ja }}

On 28 June 2010 it was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland on DVD by 4Digital Asia.