On February 29th, 2024, it was announced that Netflix would be releasing a remake of the 1975 Junya Sato tokusatsu crime feature Shinkansen Explosion (otherwise known as The Bullet Train … No, not the Brad Pitt one). The film’s premise would be centered around a bullet train that contains a bomb which will go off if it dares to reduce its speed, all while the conductor and several others work together in seeking out and defusing the explosive device, in addition to tracking down the criminal who is behind this act. The original 1975 Toei classic starring Sonny Chiba and Ken Takakura has a long-lasting legacy, considered to be one of the finest tokusatsu disaster thrillers, as well as being the main influence behind the 1994 Keanu Reeves action feature, Speed. Now, 50 years after release, this movie stands the test of time, being reimagined in the form of a modern tokusatsu film directed by legendary filmmaker Shinji Higuchi as part of Netflix’s spring 2025 line-up.
“When panic erupts a Tokyo-bound bullet train that will explode if it slows below 100 kph, authorities race against time to save everyone on board.” – Netflix
Tokusatsu fans may very well recall Higuchi and his impact on the medium. From having assisted Teruyoshi Nakano’s special effects in 1984’s The Return of Godzilla, to directing the special effects for Shusuke Kaneko’s Gamera trilogy in the 90’s, then directing the likes of 2015’s Attack on Titan, 2016’s Shin Godzilla, and 2022’s Shin Ultraman, Shinji Higuchi has more than left a mark on an industry through sheer love for the art itself. Having grown up in the 70’s, Higuchi was well-aware of the state of the Japanese film industry and its effect on tokusatsu productions at the time. Being inspired by Godzilla and Ultraman, his filmography shows his dedication to evolving the craft that comes with making these special effects spectacles.
In an article from Niconico News, it is from this passion that Higuchi recalls his experiences with Sato’s The Bullet Train, even considering it one of his favorite films. According to Higuchi, because of the nature and convenience of Japan’s shinkansen lines, in addition to their strict policies, producing such a film on location was a very difficult task. Thankfully, with the help of the East Japan Railway Company, Higuchi was able to make his dream come to life, as filming Bullet Train Explosion had taken place over the course of 7 round trips between Tokyo and Aomori. If you were aboard the Tohoku shinkansen line (the longest operated by JR East), that would make it a 674.9 kilometer (419.1 mi) one-way trip between both points in approximately 5 hours.
But as a reminder, this is a tokusatsu film. This is Shinji Higuchi’s specialty. The fact that the film had accomplished being filmed on location through near-impossible feats is not the only impressive thing this production can be celebrated for. Higuchi still delivers the art of traditional tokusatsu in Bullet Train Explosion by having parts of the film use a 1/6 scale model of a shinkansen (despite 1/20 scale models being the norm), which came to positive reception from various special effects artists who witnessed the filming of it, according to Higuchi.
Outside of the special effects prowess of Higuchi, Bullet Train stars famous actor Tsuyoshi Kusanagi. Prior, Kusanagi has collaborated with Shinji Higuchi in a 2006 remake of Japan Sinks, and cameoed as Eren’s father, Grisha, in Attack on Titan, making the actor a regular under his wing. Here, Kusanagi portrays a conductor named Takaichi, who is informed of the shinkansen’s hijacking of Hayabusa No. 60, thus has to stop the train from being destroyed.
Other names associated with Bullet Train Explosion include producers Yoshihiro Sato (Attack on Titan, Shin Godzilla) and Kota Ishizuka (Godzilla Fest – short films), co-writer Isao Oba (Shin Godzilla, Shin Ultraman), and writer Kazuhiro Nakagawa. Nakagawa has also worked under Higuchi as an assistant director for Attack on Titan, Shin Godzilla, and Shin Ultraman, but it should be noted that he has also directed various episodes of Ultraman Z, Decker, and Blazar, as well as the recent Godzilla Fest tokusatsu shorts.
Despite what little has been shown of the film up to this point, the cast, crew, and stories from behind the scenes are making Bullet Train Explosion warm up to be a very intriguing experience. With such talent behind what is, with all intents and purposes, an ambitious miracle of a production, we will eagerly await the film when it explodes onto Netflix this coming April 23rd, 2025.
