All articles by Jason Gray – Page 14
-
News
Unfinished Kurosawa film to be completed
An unfinished 1983 documentary by famed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa will be completed and released in time for the 100th anniversary of the filmmaker's birth in 2010.Kurosawa began work on documentary Gendai No Noh (Modern Noh) during a suspension of filming of prize-winning period epic Ran (1985) due to financing ...
-
Features
Distribution - Japan - Content on the move
In Japan, cable TV and satellite are still small markets. Japanese audiences watch the big five networks en masse, rented more than 25 million DVDs last year (the preferred way to watch US TV shows such as 24) and go to the cinema - in that order. The VoD market, ...
-
News
Japan's NTV unveils slate with Miyazaki's latest
Japan's Nippon Television Network (NTV) has announced its nine-filmslate for the upcoming fiscal year, headlined by the return of animation giant Hayao Miyazaki with his latest, and possibly final, effort Ponyo On A Cliff. The film is slated for a July release through Toho. NTV has been producer Studio Ghibli's ...
-
News
Tokyo Tower scoops top prizes at Japan Academy Awards
Joji (George) Matsuoka's Tokyo Tower: Mom & Me, And Sometimes Dad has been named Best Picture of 2007 at the 31st Japan Academy Awards, held Friday evening (Feb 15) in Tokyo. The film picked up a total of five major prizes from 14 nominations, including best director for Matsuoka, best ...
-
News
Cine Qua Non, Creek & River partner for Korean push
The Korean subsidiaries of Japanese film producer-distributor-exhibitor Cine Qua Non (CQN) and contents rights management company Creek & River have partnered to promote Japanese films in the Korean market. Through a tie-up with Cine Qua Non Korea, Creek & River Korea will handle licensing of theatrical distribution, broadcast and remake ...
-
News
Japanese director Kon Ichikawa dies aged 92
Famed Japanese director Kon Ichikawa has died of pneumonia at a Tokyo hospital, according to family members. He was 92-years-old.Born in 1915 in Mie Prefecture, Ichikawa began his career as an animator in the 30s, moving into feature directing with puppet play A Girl At Dojo Temple in 1946 at ...
-
News
L: Change The World has biggest opening of the year in Japan
Death Note series sequel L: Change The World opened at the top of the Japanese box office, achieving the biggest single weekend earnings of the year so far. Released by Warner Brothers on 398 screens on February 9, the film grossed $5.29m (Y567.5m) on 444,076 admissions for a strong per ...
-
News
Chesuto! to have world premiere at Hong Kong Filmart
The Tokyo International Film Festival and TIFFCOM market will hold the world premiere of Toshiro Saiga's Chesuto! at this year's Hong Kong Filmart on March 18. Set in the south-western prefecture of Kagoshima, Chesuto! is a coming-of-age story about a female swimming instructor coaching a team of elementary school children ...
-
News
Hoshino appointed president of Japan's Studio Ghibli
Japan 's Studio Ghibli has announced that Koji Hoshino has taken over as company president from Toshio Suzuki as of February 1. Suzuki, who had served as producer of all Ghibli productions since 1989, became president in 2005 after the studio became independent from parent company Tokuma Publishing.Suzuki stepped down ...
-
News
Imports gain upper hand at flat Japanese box office
According to annual data published today by The Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (Eiren), overall box office revenues for 2007 totalled $1.87bn (Y198.44bn), a 2.2% decrease from 2006's $1.91bn (Y202.93bn). The figure represents earnings on 163.19 million admissions, only a 0.8% drop on the previous year's 164.56m cinemagoers. The ...
-
News
Japan's Sun Music unveils details of debut film production
Japanese talent management company Sun Music has announced details of its first feature film production, a drama entitled Yesterdays. The main character will be played by 25-year-old Takashi Tsukamoto in his first leading role. The story follows Tsukamoto's mission to find his estranged dying father's ex-lover, when he slips back ...
-
News
Japan - Bringing home the horror
Nikkatsu's legendary film studios in Chofu City, a suburb of Tokyo: a set of a weatherbeaten beach house stands in the centre of the studio as gaffers and set dressers work away. Artificial moonlight bleeds through slats in the structure's opaque roof, illuminating decrepit furniture and marine equipment inside.Once adjustments ...
-
News
Shochiku adds Sakamoto, Oikawa titles to EFM line-up
Japanese major Shochiku has unveiled its line-up for the upcoming European Film Market (EFM) which includes new titles from Ataru Oikawa and Junji Sakamoto. Oikawa's recently completed rural horror film Shrill Cries Of Summer is based on a successful franchise extending from video games to manga and TV animation. Oikawa ...
-
News
Shochiku picks up Sori martial arts action title Ichi
Japanese major Shochiku will handle international sales of martial arts action film Ichi, directed by Fumihiko Sori and starring Haruka Ayase (Hero) as a female incarnation of the legendary blind swordsman Zatoichi. Shochiku will begin sales of the film at the upcoming Berlin International Film Festival's European Film Market (EFM) ...
-
News
Japan's Toho Studios achieves best year in history
Following Screen International's forecast in mid-December, Toho Studios has achieved the highest box offices revenues in the company's history. In 2007, Toho releases earned $556.06m (Y59.51bn), a 1.25% increase over 2006's record-setting take of $548.52m (Y58.78bn). Toho operates the largest number of screens (528) of the country's more than 3,060 ...
-
News
Earth topples Legend from top spot at Japanese box office
BBC Wordwide/Greenlight Media's nature documentary Earth has knocked I Am Legend from the top spot at the Japanese box office after the apocalyptic drama spent four weeks in the pole position. Earth grossed $5.12m (Y550m) over the three-day holiday weekend period (Jan 12-14) on 275 screens. It's per screen average ...
-
News
Japan's IMJ, Dub Incset up production label Smoke
IMJ Group subsidiary, IMJ Entertainment (IMJE), has established a feature film and visual contents company as a 50:50 joint venture with film and TV producer Dub Inc. The new company, Smoke, will be headed by Dub CEO Yasushi Utagawa, who will serve as producer on feature films developed under the ...
-
News
Suo's I Just Didn't Do It wins top Kinema Junpo honours
Masayuki Suo's I Just Didn't Do It has been ranked best film of the year and awarded three major prizes by Kinema Junpo, Japan's oldest film magazine. In addition to coming first in Kinema Junpo's annual Top 10, the film won best director and screenplay for Suo and best actor ...
-
News
Shochiku lines up sequel to Gegege No Kitaro
Japan's Shochiku Studios is producing a sequel to its biggest hit of 2007, action fantasy Gegege No Kitaro. Director Katsuhide Motoki will again direct and singing idol-turned-actor Eiji Wentz will reprise his role as Kitaro, a half-human half-yokai (creatures and supernatural beings).He is joined by returning cast members Rena Tanaka, ...
-
News
Toho set for record annual box office, announces 2008 lineup
Japan's largest distributor, Toho Studios, has surpassed box office earnings of $442m (Y50b) for the fourth year in a row, the company announced. The company's releases during the lucrative Christmas/New Year's period are set to break Toho's record-setting year in 2006.Earnings up until the end of November totaled $476.4m (Y53.63b). ...