Fuji TV has announcedanother entry in its successful Bayside Shakedownfilm and TV franchise - Bengoshi HaijimaHideki (Hideki Haijima, Esq.) - to bedirected by Daisaku Kobayashi and star actor and TV presenter Norito Yashima.

The TV movie will be thefourth spin-off produced since the release of the original feature film in 1998and its sequel in 2003.

Yashima played theantagonist in last year's The Suspect,itself a spin-off film, but will be the central character in this latestouting, playing a powerful attorney who gets caught up in a battle over animportant piece of land. Kobayashi was assistant director on The Suspect.

The film will be broadcastat the end of October along with the three previous spin-off productions. "Wehad planned a marathon airing of the BaysideShakedown spin-offs, and I felt a new special would enhance the feeling ofthe occasion," says producer Chihiro Kameyama, the man behind the Bayside series, Umizaru 2: Test Of Trust and other Fuji hits.

Fuji TV had five features inlast year's domestic top ten, with two Baysidespin-off movies, Negotiator and The Suspect, grossing a combined boxoffice total of $68.7m (Y8.03bn), putting the character-driven franchise overthe $300m mark.

Fuji's food-themed comedy-drama Udon is currently in theatres and distributor Toho opens thenetwork's final summer entry Sugar &Spice on September 16.

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