WWE superstar Liv Morgan is stepping further into Hollywood, and this time, she’s teaming up with Lily James and Shun Oguri in Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo, a gritty reimagining of the 1992 cult crime classic.
The upcoming film, from Oscar-winning studio Neon (Anora, Parasite, I, Tonya), will be directed by genre legend Takashi Miike (Audition, 13 Assassins, Ichi the Killer) and written by Daisuke Tengan, best known for penning intense, morally complex stories. This new take ditches the New York grit for the neon-soaked chaos of Tokyo, but the central theme remains: corruption, vice, and one dangerously unhinged cop.
Shun Oguri stars as the titular Bad Lieutenant, a crooked, gambling-addicted Tokyo detective whose moral compass is long gone. Things spiral when Lily James shows up as an FBI agent investigating the disappearance of a prominent politician’s daughter, played by none other than Liv Morgan. But this isn’t a simple missing persons case: there’s a killer stalking the shadows of the yakuza underworld, and nothing is what it seems.
This marks a major film move for Morgan (real name Gionna Daddio), who’s been making waves beyond the wrestling ring. She previously appeared alongside Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson in The Kill Room and had a guest role in the hit horror series Chucky. Her casting in Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo signals a shift from cameo to serious screen presence.
Miike, never one for subtlety, has promised fans exactly what they expect, chaos, style, and violence, all with his signature flair.
“I’m about to throw a fastball straight down the middle of your strike zone, no tricks, no gimmicks,” Miike teased. “We’re about to break every limit to create unforgettable entertainment.”
Jeremy Thomas of Recorded Picture Company, known for producing bold, edgy cinema, called the project “a reinterpretation of iconic IP with a master filmmaker.” Meanwhile, Sam Pressman of Pressman Film, whose late father, Edward R. Pressman, produced the original Bad Lieutenant, described this Tokyo-set reimagining as “a dream come true.”
“Just as Ferrara and Herzog gave us two wildly different takes, Miike’s vision is unrelentingly wild and unique,” Pressman said. “This story of corruption, both of police and the human soul, has global resonance.”
The film, still in production, is already attracting attention thanks to its unpredictable casting, top-tier production team, and the promise of an ultraviolent, high-octane ride through Tokyo’s criminal underworld. No official release date has been set, but it’s safe to say Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo will be a must-watch for fans of crime thrillers, action cinema, and anyone curious to see Liv Morgan punch through the limits of what a WWE crossover star can do.
