Jared Leto is Apparently Japanese Enough to Be Yakuza in New Netflix Movie

Netflix released a new trailer for its upcoming crime thriller “The Outsider”, starring Jared Leto as a former American soldier who joins the Japanese Yakuza.

Set in post-WWII Japan, Leto plays Nick Lowell, a POW who finds freedom with the help of his Yakuza cellmate.

Forced to repay the group, he is thrusted to their dark underworld of organized crimes.

“The Outsider” also stars Tadanobu Asano, Kippei Shiina, Shioli Kutsuna, Nao Omori, Min Tanaka, Rory Cochrane and Emile Hirsch.

Martin Zandvliet (“Land of Mine”) directed the movie with Andrew Baldwin (“The Take”) and John Linson (producer, “Lords of Dogtown”) writing the script.

The film has reportedly been in the works since 2011, with Michael Fassbender and later Tom Hardy previously listed to star.

“The Outsider” streams on Netflix beginning March 9.

While many are excited for the film to drop, some may be more reminded of another film where a Caucasian protagonist unwittingly finds himself in a traditionally Japanese setting:

Yeah, I saw the Jared Leto as part of the Yakuza… Basically, The Last Samurai but set after World War II… "The Last Samurai: Yakuza"

Yay, white guy who joins the Japanese side & understands their ways better than their own God damn self for generations.#TheOutsider pic.twitter.com/yHJqxGImlj

— Laura (@lsirikul) February 23, 2018