Japan’s former premier Junichiro Koizumi, known for crooning Elvis Presley songs while in office, is lending his voice to a superhero movie, reports said.
Lion-maned Koizumi, 67, has provided the voiceover for the extraterrestrial hero who fights not political opponents in the Diet legislature but monsters and aliens from outer space, according to the movie’s producers.
Koizumi, now retired from politics, used his offbeat charisma to rule Japan for more than five years until 2006, in contrast to his three conservative successors who each quit the post of prime minister within a year.
While in office, Koizumi displayed his media savvy by singing Elvis hits during a visit to Graceland, Tennessee, with then US president George W. Bush.
His next performance will be in MegaMonsterBattle — Ultra Galaxy, which is due to be screened in Japan on Dec. 12. His character fires a flash of light to attack evil enemies and shouts: “Pay for your transgression!”
“No one else can play this significant role except for former premier Koizumi, who once led the country,” said Junko Kitazawa of Tsuburaya Production, which made the latest movie version of the TV series.
Koizumi first planned to decline the request to appear in the movie but eventually decided to try his hand at the role after his son, Shinjiro, who took over his seat in parliament in the recent elections, encouraged him to accept it, reports said. Koizumi’s eldest son, Kotaro, is a professional actor.
The Ultraman television series first appeared on TV in 1966. Ultraman, a silver-suited masked hero, comes from outer space to save the Earth from gigantic monsters.
“The Ultraman series can be enjoyed by an entire family over three generations,” Koizumi told Nippon Television.(AFP)
報導指出，辦公時喜歡哼唱貓王歌曲的日本前首相小泉純一郎，將在一部超級英雄電影中獻聲。
電影製作公司表示，有著一頭獅鬃捲髮、現年六十七歲的小泉，這次為宇宙英雄配音，對上的不是國會殿堂的政治對手，而是來自外太空的怪獸和外星人。
已退出政壇的小泉以其另類的個人魅力治理日本五年多，直到二ＯＯ六年才卸任，相較之下，繼任的三位保守的首相任期都不到一年。
小泉在位期間，和當時的美國總統小布希到田納西州的優雅園參訪時，曾當場獻唱貓王經典名曲，展現其掌握媒體的手腕。
而他的下一場演出將是在「大怪獸對決—超人力霸王銀河傳說」電影中獻聲，該片預計十二月十二日在日本上映。他的角色會發射光波攻擊邪惡的敵人，並高喊：「為你們的罪過付出代價吧！」。
將「超人力霸王」電視劇集改拍成電影的圓谷製作的北澤淳子說：「沒有人比前首相小泉更能勝任這個角色，因為他曾治理國家。」
報導指出，小泉原本打算回絕該配音邀請，但最終還是在兒子進次郎的鼓勵下，決定嘗試這個角色；小泉進次郎在最近的國會大選中，承襲父志當選議員。小泉的長子孝太郎則是一名專業演員。
「超人力霸王」電視影集一九六六年在電視首播。「超人力霸王」是一個穿著銀色套裝的假面英雄，從外太空來打擊巨獸，拯救地球。
小泉對日本電視台表示：「『超人力霸王』影集老中少三代皆宜，適合闔家觀賞。」（法新社╱翻譯：袁星塵）
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