Netflix has just bought a ticket for another Bullet Train ride. This week, the streamer announced that Shin Godzilla‘s co-director Shinji Higuchi has been tapped to helm Bullet Train Explosion. The Japanese movie will be a remake of 1975 action thriller Shinkansen Daibakuha, and a 2025 release window has been announced by the streaming giant. A specific release window is yet to be unveiled.
The original movie became known internationally with two different titles: The Bullet Train and Super Express 109. In the story, passengers of a bullet train are terrified when a group of terrorist announces that there are bombs spread across the vehicle and they are all connected with the speedometer: if the train reduces velocity, the bombs go off. The 1975 version was directed by Junya Satō (Lost in the Wilderness) and starred Japanese legends Sonny Chiba (Kill Bill) and Ken Takakura (Black Rain).
For the 2025 remake, Netflix has already selected its lead star: Tsuyoshi Kusanagi will lead the cast. The actor has starred in movies like Midnight Swan and Sabakan, but also became massively popular when he was a member of the Japanese boy band SMAP — one of the best-selling groups from Asia that stuck together for almost three decades. Netflix is yet to announce additional cast members of Bullet Train Explosion.
Where Do You Know ‘The Bullet Train’ Story From?
If the premise of Bullet Train Explosion seems familiar, it’s because the original movie’s story is similar to a modern classic: 1994’s Speed starred Keanu Reeves (John Wick franchise) and Sandra Bullock (Practical Magic) trying to save passengers from a speeding bus that also can’t slow down otherwise it explodes. However, the stakes might feel higher in the 2025 version since bullet trains tend to reach 200 MPH.
It’s also easy to mistake The Bullet Train with 2022’s Bullet Train. The Brad Pitt (Wolfs) action-comedy movie featured no bombs but rather five professional assassins trying to take out each other while the massive train rushes through Japan. The connections stop there, though.
One of the reasons why Netflix selected Higuchi as director is because the filmmaker was able to revitalize the Godzilla franchise in 2016. Shin Godzilla was a massive hit at the box office and represented the return of the famous kaiju to the big screen after a 12-year absence. The movie also paved the way to another win: Godzilla: Minus One premiered seven years later and was also celebrated as a standout entry in the Godzilla franchise.
Netflix premieres Bullet Train Explosion in 2025. A specific release window is yet to be announced by the streamer.
via Collider