by Marlan Moore | staff editor

Actor/Director “Beat” Takeshi Kitano (Battle Royale, Zatōichi) has been starring in a series of Toyota commercials in Japan as the reincarnation of Sengoku-era warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

In these commercials, Kitano acts opposite of French actor Jean Reno (Leon: The Professional, The Da Vinci Code ), who plays future robot cat Doraemon. There’s no blue-furred robo-kitty in these commercials, however, just Jean Reno in a black suit playing the cat’s part. In the commercials, Doraemon interacts with Hideyoshi and even shows off some of his future technology made popular in the Doraemon films and manga, such as a time machine and his Anywhere Door.

The latest commercial has Kitano and Reno showing off Toyota’s new hybrid luxury car, Crown. Check it out below.

[via ANN]

Tags: beat takeshi, doraemon, jean reno, takeshi kitano, toyota commercial