Third Window picks up The World of Kanako

London-based Third Window Films has announced it picked up Japanese mystery The World of Kanako for UK and Ireland from Wild Bunch in Cannes.

Directed by Tetsuya Nakashima, the film stars Koji Yakusho as an ex-cop searching for his missing daughter whose straight-A student façade hid the secret life she led in a hellish underworld.

Third Window Films previously released the director’s Kamikaze Girls, Memories of Matsuko and Confessions as well as Lalapipo, for which he wrote the screenplay.

“All four were released in cinemas, with Confessions, Kamikaze and Matsuko all having massive video sales plus all sold to FilmFour,” noted Adam Torel, CEO of the company.

“Director Nakashima is a real talent in [the] fact that he tackles a completely different genre each time, taking time and passion to mix both entertainment and depth in each. From buddy girl biker chick film to musical melodrama tragedy to bright and over-the-top children’s film to dark and twisted revenge film to now, The World of Kanako, a super violent thriller, he has really made an effort to cover as many bases as possible,” he said.

Third Window Films plans to open the film in cinemas in the first quarter of 2015 with subsequent DVD, blu-ray and VOD releases.

“I think his ability to cover multiple genres with style, entertainment and interesting characters, coupled with the fact that he doesn’t make so many films means that the audience in the UK are always waiting for his next and I expect The World of Kanako to be a huge success here,” said Torel.