Shochiku Studios has announced details of director Yoji Yamada’s latest film, Tokyo Kazoku (literal translation: “Tokyo Family”), being produced to celebrate Yamada’s 50-year directing career.

Tokyo Kazoku will pay homage to Yasujiro Ozu’s 1953 classic Tokyo Story (Tokyo Monogatari), chronicling family life in modern-day Japan.

The cast has yet to be confirmed but filming will begin in April 2011 with the release slated for early 2012, with Shochiku also distributing.

Yamada said of the project: “I’ve always been attracted to Tokyo Story as a film, particularly its great depiction of family and human beings. With respect to the original work, which is loved by fans all over the world, I would like to take the concept and heart of Tokyo Story and bring the story to contemporary Tokyo.”

Tokyo Kazoku marks Yamada’s 82nd feature film directing credit since 1961 debut Nikai No Tanin. Mentored by Ozu, Yamada’s filmography includes the 48-film Tora-san series, The Yellow Handkerchief, Berlin competition title Kabei - Our Mother and Oscar-nominated The Twilight Samurai.

In similar fashion Yamada’s About Her Brother, which closed the Berlin film festival this year, was a respectful reworking of late director Kon Ichikawa’s 1960 film Otouto. Co-directed 2010 release Kyoto Story also nodded at Ozu.

Under Yamada’s direction, Shochiku will also be producing a stage adaptation of Ozu’s Tokyo Story set to open next year.