Japan’s Gaga Corporation is headed to Cannes with a film in competition — Hirokazu Koreeda’s near-future robot drama Sheep In The Box — and a new president and CEO at the helm. Satomi Odake took the reins of the 40-year-old distribution and production company in February when founder Tom Yoda moved into the position of chairman emeritus of the board.
Odake tells Screen that she is interested in continuity rather than major shakeups in her elevation to the top job.
“Former president Yoda spearheaded our multi-portfolio strategy, and believe my role is to maximize our strengths in each respective field,” says Odake. “Rather than change, I’m more focused on continuing to deliver great films, properties and entertainment services.”
Odake is no stranger to those who have worked with Gaga, having been at the company for 29 years. One memorable early success, she shares, was the hit release of 2007 nature documentary Earth, narrated in Japan by Ken Watanabe and her most recent role before this year’s promotion was as executive vice president and COO. Odake will be on-hand at Cannes to “help present Sheep In The Box in the best possible way” as well as meet with buyers and sellers at the market, where Japan is this year’s Country of Honour.
“With international distributors already in place for Sheep In The Box, I believe the festival will be incredibly helpful for those distributors in promoting the director’s artistic vision and the film’s unique qualities when they distribute it in their own countries,” says Odake. Neon has acquired rights for the film in the US, UK and Australia.
Gaga America
Other recent moves for the established distribution and production company include a new president for Gaga America, Yoshihiro Yamatsu, and an expansion into direct distribution of films in North America, a decision based on growing demand for Japanese IP in the region, says Odake.
Gaga America’s release of Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Beginning of a New Era, an anime film based on the popular Umamusume mobile game and animated TV series about anthropomorphised racehorses, earned a reported $1.27m from about 600 screens during its North American run, which began February 27.
Locally, Gaga has launched a new label called Noroshi, dedicated to distributing arthouse cinema within Japan. Its first two films, released in February and April, were Oscar-winner Sentimental Value and Cannes Jury Prize winner Sound of Falling, which opened at number one on the “mini-theatre” (arthouse cinema) chart on its opening weekend. Future titles include The Love That Remains and Nightborn, with this year’s Cannes lineup likely offering future Noroshi pickups.
Acknowledging headwinds for imported films in Japan, where local product has dominated the box office for the past few years, Odake says that Noroshi hopes to “encourage customers to experience the diversity of foreign films—to realise, ‘Oh, I can see a world like this,’ or ’I can feel a sensation like this’.”
“We recognise that one of the things customers care most about is getting value from the time spent watching a film, so if we can deliver an overwhelmingly wonderful experience, I believe customers will recognise Noroshi as something of value,” says Odake.
These developments follow Gaga’s acquisition in late 2023 by entertainment firm Genda Group, which operates amusement arcades and karaoke parlours in Japan and abroad.
Coming under the Genda umbrella, says Odake, has “strengthened and expanded Gaga’s existing activities, allowing them to be pursued on a far broader scale”.
“Given the sheer size of the anime market, and the fact of Genda’s Gigo amusement arcades and merchandising expertise, we’re able to enhance the value of our properties and our promotion.”
Looking forward, Odake says that her work will involve striking the right balance between Gaga’s long history of distribution of imported titles, expanding its lineup of Japanese films, particularly in regard to its nascent foray into anime, and continuing to work within the Genda Group to “develop initiatives that will make the industry more appealing to the public”.
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