Hirokazu Kore-eda, Takashi Miike, Muneyuki Kii

Source: MIKIYA TAKIMOTO / K.Kurigami / K2 Pictures

(l-r) Hirokazu Kore-eda, Takashi Miike, Muneyuki Kii

K2 Pictures, a Japanese production company launched by former Toei producer Muneyuki Kii, is to introduce a new film fund at Cannes and a slate that includes upcoming projects from Palme d’Or winner Hirokazu Kore-eda, acclaimed genre director Takashi Miike and top animation studio MAPPA.

The K2P Film Fund I aims to support live-action and animated Japanese features, collaborating with local and international investors from the US, Asia and beyond. Profits from productions will be funnelled back to investors, creators and crew.

Announcing the fund, K2 Pictures revealed it will collaborate with leading Japanese directors and creators on a slate of upcoming projects that include Kore-eda, who won the top prize at Cannes in 2018 with Shoplifters and serves on this year’s Competition jury, and 13 Assassins director Miike.

Further collaborations are in the pipeline with Shunji Iwai, director of Love Letter and Vampire; Miwa Nishikawa, whose crime drama Sway previously played in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes; Kazuya Shiraishi, director of The Devil’s Path and The Blood Of Wolves; and MAPPA, one of Japan’s top animation studios whose titles include Jujutsu Kaisen 0, and the Chainsaw Man and Attack On Titan series.

To mark the launch of the company, which was established last August, as well as the new fund, K2 Pictures will host a presentation in Cannes next week with directors Nishikawa and Miike in attendance.

In Japan, most films are made by “production committees” formed by organisations such as film companies, TV stations, and publishers. Kii, the founder and CEO of K2 Pictures, said this makes entry into the film industry difficult and limits returns to producers and creators.

“We’re aiming to bring a major revolution to the Japanese film industry, while also giving new domestic and overseas investors the chance to enter this flourishing industry,” he said. “It’s clear there is growing interest in Japanese-related content around the world, so we are committed to making our local film industry more active, fairer and profitable in the global marketplace, while also building a robust content pipeline that promises to captivate audiences.”

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