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The historical epic Emperor has gained some considerable dramatic weight with the addition of Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones. Directed by Peter Webber (The Girl with the Pearl Earring), the movie takes place during the days following the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II. Jones will play General Douglas MacArthur, the de facto ruler of Japan as Supreme Commander of the occupying forces. Matthew Fox stars as a leading Japanese expert on the staff of MacArthur who is tasked with deciding whether or not Emperor Hirohito should be tried and hanged as a war criminal.

Based on a screenplay by David Klass (Walking Tall, Desperate Measures, Kiss the Girls) and Vera Blasi (Woman on Top, Tortilla Soup), the production is set to begin this month in New Zealand and Japan. Jones will next be seen in Men in Black 3 this May in the US, and also stars in Great Hope Springs with Meryl Streep and Steve Carell.

Alessandro Zoppo