A pre-release screening of “Little Boy” will be held exclusively for the Japanese American community in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 26, at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) at the Japanese American National Museum, 100 N. Central Ave. in Little Tokyo.
Q&A with actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa and producer/author Mark Joseph to follow.
To register for the free screening, go to http://janm.doattend.com/.
Open Road Films, the film’s distributor, said, “‘Little Boy’ is a powerful and moving, utterly unique story that will capture your heart and lift your spirits. ‘Little Boy’ tells the heartwarming story of a little boy who is willing to do whatever it takes to bring his dad home from World War II alive. The story reveals the indescribable love a little boy has for his father and the love a father has for his son.
“Set in the ’40s, ‘Little Boy’ is a cinematic classic that captures the wonder of life through the eyes of an 8-year-old little boy.
“From the filmmakers who won the prestigious Toronto Film Festival People’s Choice Award for the movie ‘Bella,’ ‘Little Boy’ features an all-star cast with two Oscar-nominated actors and is directed by Smithsonian Institution award-winning director Alejandro Monteverde; produced by Eduardo Verastegui and Leo Severino; written by Alejandro Monteverde and Pepe Portillo.”
In addition to Tagawa and Verastegui, the cast includes Emily Watson, Michael Rapaport, David Henrie, Ben Chaplin, Kevin James and Tom Wilkinson.
Tagawa — whose recent credits include the TV series “The Man in the High Castle” and “Revenge” and the movies “47 Ronin” and “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” — plays a Japanese American, just released from a U.S. concentration camp, who befriends the title character, played by Jakob Salvati.
Mark Burnett, co-executive producer of the film with Roma Downey, called it “reminiscent of films like ‘E.T.,’ ‘Sound of Music’ and ‘Life Is Beautiful.’”
The Parents Television Council has awarded “Little Boy” the PTC Seal of Approval, calling it “a deeply moving story of family, friendship and the power of faith.” (Note: May not be appropriate for children under 10 due to the PG-13 rating.)
The film opens in theaters on April 24. For more information, visit http://littleboymovie.com.