Tommy Lee Jones will play General Douglas MacArthur in Emperor, a thriller/epic directed by Peter Webber (Girl With a Pearl Earring).

Production on the Fellers Film and Krasnoff/ Foster Entertainment movie, which also stars Matthew Fox, is due to start later this month in New Zealand and Japan.

Tommy will bring strength, intelligence, and gravitas to the portrayal of, a legendary American hero, producer Gary Foster (Ghost Rider, Daredevil) said in a statement.

Emperor is set in the days following Japan's surrender in World War II, when MacArthur effectively presided over the country as the supreme commander of the Allied forces. The film follows General Bonner Fellers (Fox), an expert on Japan, as he deliberates whether deposed Emperor Hirohito should be tried or face the death penalty. Concurrently, a romance ensues between Fellers and a Japanese exchange student.

Along with Foster, Emperor is produced by Yoko Narahashi (The Last Samurai), Eugene Nomura (Tajomaru) and Russ Krasnoff (The Soloist).

A theatrical release date has not yet been set for the film.

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