Christensen retained for Bataan Death March film

By Borys Kit

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Hayden Christensen will star in "Beast of Bataan," the true story of the trial of the Japanese general who was executed for his role in the 1942 Bataan Death March, during which thousands of American and Filipino POWs died on a forced march to captivity.

Christensen is playing the rookie attorney who defended the general, Masaharu Homma, during his war crimes trial in the Philippines.

Koji Yakusho, who played the father of Rinko Kikuchi's character in "Babel," is in negotiations to portray Homma. Willem Dafoe and William Hurt also are in talks to join the film.

The independently financed production is eyeing a February start date in Australia. Fred Schepisi will direct from an adaptation of Lawrence Taylor's tome "A Trial of Generals."

Christensen, best known for playing Anakin Skywalker in two of the "Star Wars" prequels, next appears in "Jumper," Doug Liman's big-budget adaptation of the best-selling young-adult novel for Fox.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter