Tom Cruise has rarely ever stopped himself from supporting even the movies that he himself doesn’t star in, but Kokuho is a different matter. If anything, he admired it so much that he even reportedly hosted a special screening of the movie at the Culver Theatre in Los Angeles (see @Schnuppe1910 on X).
At the screening, he tremendously praised the film, saying (@TomCruiseNavy on X),
We’re going to have such a treat. This movie, do you all know anything about this film at all? It is exceptional. This is a very, very special movie and one that you must see on the big screen. So, I want to introduce an enormously talented filmmaker. [Lee] Sang-il, please.
Calling it “a very special film,” Cruise went on to comment on actor Ken Watanabe’s outstanding performance as an actor as well, saying,
[Ken Watanabe] is a brilliant actor. The cast was exceptional. He’s enormously talented, his performance, he was incredibly generous. I’ve been to Japan many times, and I’ve studied the history of Japan. Part of it, also, was that I saw Kabuki theatre. I don’t want to give too much away for this film, but I just want to tell you, this man is enormously talented.
Continuing, the Mission: Impossible star even called “every single actor” in the movie “extraordinary,” heaping even more praise and commendation on the film and all the people who helped bring it to life. Cruise said,
You’re gonna see, every single actor in his film is extraordinary. They worked for years to prepare for this film, wherein he will take you inside a Japanese art form that is exceptional, elegant, very powerful. Ken Watanabe himself had to work for a long period of time to prepare for this role. The actors have trained for 18 months to prepare for these performances. You’re going to see young actors in Japan that are enormously skilled.
Judging from his words, it’s evident that Tom Cruise certainly found something really epic and worth watching in Kokuho – so much so that he even hosted a screening of the same on December 11, more than half a year after the release of the movie.
What is Kokuho All About?
Kokuho, which means “national treasure,” is based on a 2018 novel by Yoshida Shuichi that follows the life and career of a kabuki performer. This kabuki performer was born into a yakuza family and later adopted by a kabuki actor.
As the film continues to encompass his story, he is shown to dedicate his life to the stage and ultimately seek to achieve recognition as a living national treasure.
Directed by Lee Sang-il, the film stars actors Ryo Yoshizawa (from Japanese film Kingdom), Ken Watanabe (from The Last Samurai), Ryusei Yokohama (from Your Eyes Tell), Mitsuki Takahata, Shinobu Terajima, and Min Tanaka.
The film premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the Cannes Film Festival this year. (Via Deadline Hollywood.)
Japan Has Chosen Kokuho For This Oscar Category
#TomCruise #KokuhoTom Cruise hosted a screening of KOKUHO attended by director Sang-il Lee on December 11, 2025 at the Culver Theater in Los Angeles.PHOTO CREDIT: Kevin Garrison pic.twitter.com/QHW370D0lu— Kathi (@Schnuppe1910) December 12, 2025
As much of a blockbuster and critical success as Kokuho was, it was even chosen by Japan’s Motion Picture Producers Association for an Academy Award category.
The film set in the world of Japanese traditional theatre (‘kabuki’) has been chosen as Japan’s contender for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars next year. Additional reports have revealed that about nine Japanese films were submitted for consideration in the international category.
The film successfully became a box office hit over the summer in Japan since its release in June. Per Deadline, by late November, the film had become the highest-grossing Japanese live-action film of all time in its own market, with over 12.3 million tickets sold to date, surpassing ¥17,765,043,700 Japanese yen (around $113 million).
What do you think about this? Got some thoughts and opinions of your own to share? Let us know in the comments below!
You can currently catch Kokuho in theatres.
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