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Live-action anime adaptations, like Bleach (2018), face challenges condensing expansive source material into feature-length films. Bleach (2018) successfully abridged its source material, keeping key themes while streamlining the story for cinematic appeal, but could have gone even further. While Bleach (2018) was solid, it missed key opportunities to delve deeper into the manga's intricate world and character development.

Whether they're made in Japan or internationally, live-action anime adaptations usually don't have the most stellar reputation with audiences. As far as most anime and manga fans are concerned, live-action adaptations should never even be attempted, and are an insult to their favorite artistic medium. Even in light of recent successes like Alita: Battle Angel, Netflix's One Piece and the Ruroni Kenshin movies, it's hard to deny that this particular cinematic niche still has a lot of learning and improving to do. These titles tend to be exceptions to the norm. One notable adaptation...

Title is the third instalment in the Don Lee action film franchise.

South Korea’s K-Movie Entertainment has secured pre-sales of The Roundup: No Way Out, the third instalment in the Don Lee action film franchise.

Deals have closed for North America and Germany (Capelight Pictures), Hong Kong and Macau (Edko Films), Taiwan (Moviecloud), Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar (Clover Films), in-flight (Kairos), Middle East (Vox), Vietnam (Lotte Vietnam), Philippines (Viva) and Mongolia (Filmbridge).

Lee will return in the action series that began in 2017 with The Outlaws followed by The Roundup, which became South Korea’s...

The last wuxia film Yen starred in was “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny” (2016), since, although he was in “New Kung Fu Cult Master Part One” (2022) it was only a cameo. Now he is back as the leading man, producer and director in “Sakra”, a wuxia epic which is adapted from Jin Yong’s (Louis Cha) novel “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils” which deals with the Eight Races of Buddhist deities of the Buddhist cosmology. The Chinese title is loosely translated as “The Eight Books of the Heavenly Dragon: Qiao Feng Legacy.”

Set during the time in which the Han Chinese dominated and the Song Dynasty is at war with the Liao Empire led by the Khitan race, Jin Yong’s complex and long story involves three main protagonists plus a huge collection of flamboyant characters and their explorations in the wulin (martial arts community), but Qiao Feng is the only one Yen concentrates on.

The second part of the trilogy adapting the famous manga and anime (one of the best of all time actually) has recently been released on Netflix, continuing the story from the middle part of the original, focusing on Scar’s arc, one of the most interesting characters in the whole franchise.

As it is soon revealed, Scar is on a mission to kill every State Alchemist, in a desperate effort to exact revenge from the genocide the army committed years ago in Ishval, with his quest eventually revealing another side of the army and particularly of the Fuhrer, which was not evident at all before. At the same time, Edward and Alphonse stumble upon a prince named Lin Yao and his two bodyguards, who are in search of the Philosopher’s Stone, as much as Lan Fan, a kind-hearted girl who is from the same country as the three foreigners.

Eiichiro Oda has drawn the Japanese comic "One Piece" for twenty-five years. Serialized via the hugely popular magazine Shonen Jump, it is now over 100 volumes long and the best-selling manga series in history. Fans and writers have dissected the influences, themes and characters of "One Piece" many times over. For instance, we know that Oda was inspired by Akira Toriyama, the creator of the mega-popular series "Dragon Ball." We know that before starting his own comic series, he worked as an assistant on the popular (and unfortunately forever tainted) historical drama "Rurouni Kenshin." But English-speaking fans may not be familiar with another of Oda's professed...

The post The Forgotten Anime Classic That Inspired One Piece appeared first on /Film.

Another year, another bountiful crop of action filmmaking. The following article covers some of the best. Like with last year’s installment, the focus will be on action scenes—compact, heightened expressions of action filmmaking craft—rather than films as a whole, which means that some otherwise strong, action-adjacent pictures may be missing and a couple included films look fairly lackluster beyond their set pieces. For the sake of variety, I have limited myself to one scene per film, and all featured films made their official, non-festival, U.S. theatrical and/or streaming debut in 2021. The criterion of “official” excludes the Chinese direct-to-YouTube actioner One More Shot, which was removed after just a few days online. Whenever the film receives a more “legitimate” stateside debut, it will almost certainly be included in that year’s roundup. And now, to the action. The scenes have been organized into loose thematic...

Probably one of the best years for action/martial arts cinema lately, 2021 saw a number of truly impressive titles coming out, as China’s blockbusters seem to be getting better, followed by the Korean ones, Japanese manga adaptations continue to be on a very high-level, at least production level-wise and Asean countries keep on producing some of the most interesting in the category through the combination of social commentary and exploitation elements. Furthermore, a number of movies that do not fall in any of the aforementioned groups but are of equal quality, rounded up a truly great year for Asian genre.

Without further ado, here are the best Asian martial arts/action films of 2021, in reverse order. Some films may have premiered in 2019, but since they mostly circulated in 2021, we decided to include them.

15. Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (Keishi Ohtomo)

On the other hand, the action element is top notch,...

By Sophia Ng

A Faustian bargain is often recognised as a deal with the devil where one trades something of moral or spiritual importance such as the soul for the acquisition of worldly or material gains. It’s hardly a new trope in books and films, but is given a little twist in Akira Nagai’s film adaptation of “If Cats Disappeared from this World”. Based on Genki Kawamura’s book of the same name, the 2016 film follows its terminally-ill protagonist as he is offered a chance to prolong his life by a devil wearing his face– erasing one thing from the world in exchange for one more day of life. Compared to the high personal stakes involved in “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, where the titular character trades his soul for permanent youth, the deal offered by the devil in this case seems like a pretty good deal when...

(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)

The Movies: Rurouni Kenshin Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3

Where You Can Stream It: Funimation

The Pitch: A former assassin nicknamed Hitokiri Battosai lays down his sword after committing countless atrocities during the Bakumatsu war and vows to never kill again. Ten years later, a wandering rurouni named Himura Kenshin (Takeru Satoh) makes his way through the Japanese countryside, offering protection and help to those in need. But he carries a strange...

The post The Daily Stream: The Rurouni Kenshin Trilogy Brings the Western-Samurai Dynamic Full Circle appeared first on /Film.

The New York Asian Film Foundation and Film at Lincoln Center have announced two final titles, completing the lineup for the upcoming 20th edition of the New York Asian Film Festival (Nyaff). The festival will be screening over 70 films, both virtually and in person, to audiences in New York and across the country from August 6 – 22, 2021. Tickets are already on sale.

Nyaff is thrilled to present as its festival Centerpiece the international premiere of Nyaff favorite director Benny Chan’s final work, Raging Fire. Completed shortly before his untimely death in August 2020, the Hong Kong-Chinese action film stars the inimitable Donnie Yen as Shan, a by-the-book cop whose past returns to haunt him. After a sting operation goes disastrously awry, Shan finds himself pitted against Ngo (Nicholas Tse), a former protégé who has turned criminal mastermind and is out for revenge. Nothing, it seems, can stop him, including his former mentor.

Distributor Well Go USA Entertainment has acquired the North American rights to “Raging Fire,” the latest action thriller featuring martial arts superstar Donnie Yen.

The pic is set to hit U.S. theaters later this year before landing on martial arts streaming channel Hi-yah!.

“Raging Fire” is the final title from the late Hong Kong helmer Benny Chan, who passed away last August. He was best known for action and martial arts works, including crime thriller “The White Storm,” 2011’s “Shaolin, and Jackie Chan pictures “New Police Story” and “Robin B-Hood.”

It was produced by Emperor Film Production, Tencent Pictures and Super Bullet Pictures.

Yen, known for his roles in Disney’s live-action “Mulan” and the “Ip Man” franchises, appears alongside actors Patrick Tan, Nicholas Tse, Jeana Ho, and Ray Liu (“Flash Point”).

“We are thrilled to team up with Emperor, Tencent and Super Bullet Pictures to bring ‘Raging Fire’ to North American audiences,...

One of the most anticipated movies of the last few years, particularly for fans of the “Rurouni Kenshin”-franchise, was the movie based on the final chapter of both the manga and the anime, which, in the original, concludes the story, in the most dramatic, but also the most magnificent way. Unfortunately, once more, a Netflix production went for impression rather than substance. Let us take things from the beginning though.

Wu Heishin, a man supposedly from Shanghai, arrives in Tokyo, only to be revealed a bit later, that his sole purpose is to exact revenge from Himura Kenshin, due to some events that took place between Battousai and his sister, Tomoe, in the past. Hajime Saito arrests the newcomer after a violent incident in the train that brought him, but a commercial agreement between Japan and China forces him to let him go. As Wu Heishin’s gang begins...

At a time when viewers around the world remain wary of returning to cinemas, the Shanghai International Film Festival (Siff) once again can’t keep up with local audiences. Demand is so high that viewers are paying enormous sums to get hold of scalped tickets, including more than $300 to see an art house film released more than two decades ago.

The festival sparks an annual online crush as film lovers vie Black Friday-style for its limited tickets the moment they’re released for sale. Siff sold nearly 150,000 tickets within five minutes on the first day of sales in 2019, and more than 100,000 tickets in ten minutes last year, despite occurring as an in-person event just weeks after cinemas reopened for the first time post-covid-19.

With theater capacity still capped at 75%, the event’s 2021 iteration set to run from June 11-20 has proved just as popular, despite the full line-up being announced...

The third film in the Conjuring series stands at $57.9m globally.

Worldwide Box Office June 4-6 2021 RankFilm (Distributor)3-day (World) Cume (World)3-day (Int’l)Cume (Int’l) Territories 1 The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (WB) $50.8m $57.1m $26.7m $33.1m 45 2 A Quiet Place Part II (Paramount) $33.7m $138.6m $19.2m $50m 17 3 Cruella (Disney) $29.8m $87m $18.6m $43.4m 37 4 Fast & Furious 9 (Universal) $13.3m $255.9m $13.3m $255.9m 8 5 Stand By Me Doraemon 2 (Various) $7.7m $67.7m $7.7m $67.7m 3

Credit: Comscore, all figures estimates

‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ scores $51m weekend worldwide

Updated: New Line/Warner Bros’ The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It...

The third film in the Conjuring series made an estimated $50.8m globally.

Worldwide Box Office June 4-6 2021 RankFilm (Distributor)3-day (World) Cume (World)3-day (Int’l)Cume (Int’l) Territories 1 The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (WB) $50.8m $57.1m $26.7m $33.1m 45 2 A Quiet Place Part II (Paramount) $33.7m $138.6m $19.2m $50m 17 3 Cruella (Disney) $29.8m $87m $18.6m $43.4m 37 4 Fast & Furious 9 (Universal) $13.3m $255.9m $13.3m $255.9m 8 5 Stand By Me Doraemon 2 (Various) $7.7m $67.7m $7.7m $67.7m 3

Credit: Comscore, all figures estimates

‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ scores $51m weekend worldwide

New Line/Warner Bros’ The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It...

Australia has been a global box office bright spot in recent months.

‘Mortal Kombat’ boosted by Australia opening

Updated: A $3.2m opening in Australia – including previews – helped New Line/Warner Bros’ Mortal Kombat achieve a confirmed $6.5m in international market for its third weekend of play, a rise of 9%.

The videogame spinoff also made its debut in North America, topping the box office with an estimated $22.5m. International total is $27.8m, and globally it’s $51.1m.

Australia, which has suffered fewer than 1,000 Covid deaths so far, has been a global box office bright spot in recent months, which have coincided...

Australia has been a global box office bright spot in recent months.

‘Mortal Kombat’ boosted by Australia opening

A $3.2m opening in Australia – including previews – helped New Line/Warner Bros’ Mortal Kombat achieve an estimated $6.3m in international market for its third weekend of play, a rise of 9%.

The videogame spinoff also made its debut in North America, topping the box office with an estimated $22.5m. International total is an estimated $27.6m, and globally it’s $50.1m.

Australia, which has suffered fewer than 1,000 Covid deaths so far, has been a global box office bright spot in recent months, which have...

One of the most exciting aspects of the Jump Force crossover fighting game is the large collection of various manga characters to choose from. Playable characters in the game include protagonists and antagonists from 16 different manga series, including Black Clover, Bleach, Boruto, City Hunter, Dragon Ball, Dragon Quest, Fist of the North Star, Hunter x Hunter, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, My Hero Academia, Naruto, One Piece, Samurai X, Saint Seiya, Yu-Gi-Oh!,  and Yu Yu Hakusho.

Related: Naruto: 10 Strangest Romances In The Series

Characters are divided into class tiers, which are determined by overall ability, attack, and health. In descending order, the tiers include S, A, B, C, D, E, and F classes.

The history of the transition from the Ming- to the Qing-dynasty stands for one of the most turbulent periods within China’s past, a period of many territorial and political conflicts which would define the future for the nation as well as its culture. Its events have shaped the country and still shows its traces today as its duration, from 1618 to 1683, caused the death of around 25 million people. Considering the significance of the period, it sounds quite challenging for a director to approach this time as the background for his or her project, but then South Korean filmmaker Choi Jae-hoon does not seem to shy away from a task such as this. In his feature debut “The Swordsman” he tells the story of the fall of the Gwanghaegun, the fifteenth king of the Joseon dynasty, and its repercussions. The feature, which premiered in September 2020 in the director’s home country,...

"I've never seen him look so tormented before." Warner Bros Japan has released an official trailer for the epic new back-to-back series of movies titled Rurouni Kenshin: The Final and Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning. These are part of an ongoing series of Japanese period action-adventure films based on the manga of the same name written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The first one, Rurouni Kenshin: Origins, originally debuted in 2012. These next two are back-to-back sequels, technically the fourth and fifth films in the series, opening in theaters in Japan within months of each other later in the spring. Takeru Satoh returns as Himura Kenshin, joined by Emi Takei, Mackenyu, Munetaka Aoki, Yū Aoi, Yusuke Iseya, and Riku Ōnishi. This looks completely like a live-action anime set in the old times, with stylized action and endless characters with grudges and much more. Might be a kick ass double feature! Check it out.

Cinemas in Tokyo and three neighbouring prefectures can remain open but are requested to close their doors by 8pm.

Tokyo’s cinemas will be scaling back opening hours tomorrow after the Japanese government declared a second state of emergency in the capital due to an escalation of Covid-19 infection cases.

Cinemas can stay open but have been called on to close their doors by 8:00pm, a request that has also been made to department stores, restaurants and bars, and while the order is not mandatory, it is expected that most businesses will comply.

The new restrictions apply to Tokyo...

Based on the homonymous, multi-awarded manga by Satoru Noda, which has already sold more than 18 million copies, “Golden Kamuy” is a rather different shonen title, which stands out by focusing on an Ainu character, while highlighting the language, culture, and customs of the indigenous people, supervised by Hiroshi Nakagawa, an Ainu language linguist from Chiba University.

Saichi Sugimoto (nicknamed “Immortal Sugimoto” for escaping death multiple times but also for his savage fighting style), a veteran of the Battle of 203 Hill in the Russo-Japanese War, works as a miner in Hokkaido in order to provide for the widow of his dead comrade. He hears a dubious story about a hidden trove of Ainu gold, the location of which is hidden in the tattoos of a group of convicts who escaped from Abashiri Prison. When he discovers that the story is true, and that multiple other groups are in pursuit of the gold,...

The anime industry has grown tremendously over the last two decades and it is now valued at $19 billion dollars. Over 87% of studios are based in Tokyo, Japan, with the rest spread in countries like the US, the UK, or China. Because there is such a high interest in this industry, Hollywood has attempted to make a few live-action adaptations of animes; most of which have failed. The style, emotions, and variety of characters transmitted through drawings are very difficult to reproduce in real life. There are, however, some good films out there worth watching at least once.

Source: MePixels

Rurouni Kenshin

The Rurouni Kenshin manga series was first turned into live-action in 2012 and it was so well received that two more sequels followed in 2014, and two more are due to be released in 2021. The story was not difficult to be transposed to real life, since it is set in the early Meiji period in Japan.

After the extremely successful “Rurouni Kenshin”-series, Keishi Otomo returns with a low-key queer drama named “Beneath the Shadow”. Known for his spectacular blockbuster appeal, Otomo shows a different side by adopting the Akutagawa Prizewinner novel “Eiri”. The story is set in the director’s hometown of Morioka, which points to a very personal approach.

“Beneath the Shadow” is screening at New York Asian Film Festival

The two-hour-long plot evolves around Konno (Go Ayano) and Hiasa (Ryuhei Matsuda). Konno just moved in from Tokyo on behalf of his pharmaceutical employer and befriends his work colleague Hiasa. One day, Hiasa disappears for no reason. When he returns, a dark secret is unveiled and intervenes with the entanglements of the 3/11 aftermath.

Right from the start, slow-paced storytelling and a cinematography that takes over most of the narration, draw a picture of a very local movie. The contrary protagonists, Konno as the introverted...

Henry Golding, who shot to fame as the charismatic male lead in Crazy Rich Asians, is gearing up for a triumphant return to the big screen as G.I. Joe's Snake Eyes, in the character's upcoming standalone live-action movie Snake Eyes. Although the film's release has been pushed to next year, Golding has already seen the finished cut, and the actor took to Twitter to express his joy over what he saw.

Just saw...

Twins Japan and Warner Bros. Japan are teaming up to produce “Ghost Hunt”, the live action, based on the popular novel and manga series.

Ghost Hunt, originally titled Akuryo, is a light novel series, targeting young adult demographic, written by Fuyumi Ono, whose last episode was published in 1994. The novels were later adapted into a radio drama, in 1997, then a manga adaptation written and illustrated by Shiho Inada began serialization in monthly shōjo manga magazine Nakayoshi in 1998 and ended in 2010, also published in twelve volumes by Kodansha. In October 2006, the anime television series adaptation of the manga premiered in Japan under the same name “Ghost Hunt”.

Japanese actor Miura Haruma (“A Banana? At This Time of Night?“) has officially signed on to star in the adaptation, due to be released in September 2021 in Japan. Haruma would play “Kazuya Shibuya”, the owner of Spr (Shibuya Psychic Research). Hana Sugisaki (“Blade of the Immortal...

Kayti Burt Kirsten Howard Sep 8, 2017

Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig is bringing a new anime series called Neo Yokio to Netflix this month. Here's the trailer...

What a time to be alive.

Netflix just dropped a trailer for an anime original series from Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig starring Jaden Smith, Steve Buscemi, Jude Law, Susan Sarandon, Desus and Mero, Jason Schwartzman and Tavi Gevinson, amongst others.

From the looks of the trailer, Neo Yokio is part-satire, part homage (a la Hot Fuzz), a series that aims to send-up many of anime's most ubiquitous tropes, while also paying tribute to them.

Neo Yokio, a play off of the 'New Tokyo' setting in anime classic Akira, is "a postmodern collage of homages to classic anime, English literature and modern New York fashion and culture." It follows the adventures of Jaden Smith's Kaz Kaan, a broken-hearted, pink-haired demon slayer who cares more about shopping,...

After rocking the mic in Netflix’s “The Get Down,” Jaden Smith is returning to the streaming giant — in pink-haired, animated form.

Today, Netflix announced “Neo Yokio,” a new original series created by Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig and featuring a voice cast starring Smith, Susan Sarandon, Jude Law, Tavi Gevinson, Jason Schwartzman, and Desus & Mero. Additional members of the voice cast include: Richard Ayoade, Ike Barinholtz, Steve Buscemi, Alexa Chung, Stephen Fry, Katy Mixon, Annet Mahendru, Kiernan Shipka, Willow Smith, and Amandla Stenberg.

According to a release from Netfilx, “the series is a postmodern collage of homages to classic anime, English literature and modern New York fashion and culture.” Set in the ultra-modern city of Neo Yokio, the show focuses on young Kaz (Smith) as he deals with both teenage heartbreak, the legacy of his demon slayer family, and the danger that might be threatening Neo Yokio.

Read More:...

The 74th Venice International Film Festival (August 30 – September 9) has just announced the world premiere of John Woo’s action thriller Manhunt as part of its Out of Competition roster. The film is hotly anticipated as it marks the return of the Hong Kong director to the police thriller genre 25 years after his classic Hard Boiled, starring Chow Yun-fat, Tony Leung and Anthony Wong.

Set in Japan, Manhunt is the story of a Chinese man wrongly convicted for rape and multiple murders. He becomes the target of a manhunt by the local Japanese police, while he sets out himself to find the real killers.

The film has Chinese star Zhang Hanyu (The Great Wall, Operation Mekong) and Japanese actor-musician Masaharu Fukuyama (Suspect X, Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends) in the lead roles. The predominantly Japanese supporting cast includes Yasuaki Kurata, Jun Kunimura, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Nanami Sakuraba, Naoto Takenaka and Tao Okamoto.

July 17 Update: War For The Planet Of The Apes in $44.2m international launch; Despicable Me 3 crosses $400m.Sony Pictures Releasing International

Updated: Spider-Man: Homecoming grossed $71.2m at the weekend from 20,800 screens in 63 markets to boost the running total to $260.1m.

In South Korea, the film held the number one spot for the second consecutive weekend on $11.7m for $42m, which makes this instalment the highest grossing Spider-Man film and the biggest Us release of 2017.

Latin America dropped 44% as a region and seven markets, including Brazil and Mexico, retained the number one spot. Leading the way, Brazil delivered $5.5m after a 38% drop for $19.1m, making it the biggest Spider-Man film ever. Mexico produced $4.3m from 2,897 screens for $20.2m.

In Europe, the film debuted at number one on $6.3m in France amid fierce summer competition, and Germany delivered a number two $3.7m launch that includes previews. The webslinger dropped 43% in its second weekend in the UK on $4.9m...

War For The Planet Of The Apes in $46m international launch; Despicable Me 3 crosses $400m.Sony Pictures Releasing International

Spider-Man: Homecoming grossed $72.3m this weekend from 20,800 screens in 63 total markets for $261.1m.

In South Korea, the film held the number one spot for the second consecutive weekend on $11.9m for $42.2m which makes this newest instalment the highest grossing Spider-Man film of all time and the biggest Us release of 2017.

Latin America dropped 44% as a region and had seven markets, including Brazil and Mexico, retain the number one spot. Leading the way, Brazil delivered $5.7m, a mere 38% drop, for a total of $19.4m making it the biggest Spider-Man film ever. Mexico earned $4.5m from 2,897 screens for $20.4m.

In Europe, France debuted at number one amid fierce summer competition on $6m, and Germany debuted at number two on $3.7m, including previews. The UK dropped 43% in its second weekend to earn $5m from 1,223 screens for a market total of...

War For The Planet Of The Apes in $46m international launch; Despicable Me 3 crosses $400m.Sony Pictures Releasing International

Spider-Man: Homecoming grossed $72.3m this weekend from 20,800 screens in 63 total markets for $261.1m.

In South Korea, the film held the number one spot for the second consecutive weekend on $11.9m for $42.2m which makes this newest instalment the highest grossing Spider-Man film of all time and the biggest Us release of 2017.

Latin America dropped 44% as a region and had seven markets, including Brazil and Mexico, retain the number one spot. Leading the way, Brazil delivered $5.7m, a mere 38% drop, for a total of $19.4m making it the biggest Spider-Man film ever. Mexico earned $4.5m from 2,897 screens for $20.4m.

In Europe, France debuted at number one amid fierce summer competition on $6m, and Germany debuted at number two on $3.7m, including previews. The UK dropped 43% in its second weekend to earn $5m from 1,223 screens for a market total of...

Despicable Me 3 crosses $400m; Transformers: The Last Knight closes in on same target.Fox International

War For The Planet Of The Apes debuted in 61 markets on $46m at the weekend as Matt Reeves final instalment of the Planet Of The Apes trilogy starring Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson and Steve Zahn reached $102.5m worldwide after a $56.5m debut in North America.

Only two of the top 10 international markets are currently in release and less than a third of the international marketplace.

The action tentpole produced the biggest opening of the franchise in 28 markets, with an opening weekend that is 61% greater than Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, and on par with Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes, in the same group of countries at current exchange rates.

Caesar and friends (and enemies) debuted in the UK on $9.5m including previews, followed by Russia on $5m, and Spain $3.4m. Each market...

Beijing-based exec has been with the studio for 42 years.

Warner Bros executive vice president Richard Fox, who relocated to Beijing in 2015, is stepping away from his executive responsibilities this summer.

Fox has been with Warner Bros for 42 years and served as executive vice president, international, for the last 25 years. He moved to Beijing to drive Warner Bros’ activities in China, including its joint venture with China Media Capital (Cmc), Flagship Entertainment.

“Anywhere you go in the world, people in the film business love and respect Richard,” said Warner Bros chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara. “He knows the markets, he knows the players and he’s been an incredible executive and ambassador for the company…I thank him for his many contributions to the company and join his Warner Bros colleagues around the world in wishing him all the best.”

Fox spearheaded Warner Bros’ local-language production activities, which have included films such as Patrice Leconte’s Les Bronzés 3, [link...

Three years after finishing his very successful swordsman film series Rurouni Kenshin, Keishi Otomo turns to the seemingly very different subject of traditional board games for inspiration with March Comes in Like a Lion. An adaptation of Chika Umino’s best-selling manga from 2007, Otomo has managed to squeeze plenty of taut drama out of the seemingly very static shogi, Japan’s equivalent to chess.

Starring rising star Ryunosuke Kamiki as a teenage prodigy still trying to make sense of his place in the shogi world and society in general, the pic provides a very engaging primer about both the manga’s characters...

Kimi No Na Wa is still top of the Japanese box office. The anime film as taken a whopping 6.2 billion yen since it hit Japanese theaters on August 26. The film earned roughly $60 million in three weeks and hopes to finish at $100 million.

Kimi No Na Wa also known as Your Name. is the breakout anime film of the year. An impressive feat for a movie with no TV anime series or popular manga behind it.

Kimi No Na Wa (Your Name.)

Makoto Shinkai’s novel Kimi No Na Wa inspired the script for the hit movie. It is a coming of age story is about two two high school students. Mitsuhe is a mayor’s daughter who wants to live in Tokyo and get out of a small town. Taki on the other hand, lives in Tokyo but wants to live somewhere else. He enjoys fine arts and architecture, he...

Japanese movie distributor, Gaga Corporation, has won the distribution rights for the international release of the upcoming horror thriller, Museum, by director Keishi Otomo (Rurouni Kenshin). The movie will be distributed domestically by Warner Bros, Japan, and is due for release on 12th November.

Based off the cult-favorite manga of the same name, Museum is a tautly drawn out thriller in which the detective, Hisashi Sawamura, becomes embroiled in a serial-killer case that that threatens to become personal and draw members of his family into the sordid and dangerous affair.

Shun Oguri (Crows Zero, Kisaragi) is confirmed to star as the lead detective, while Machiko Ono (Like Father, Like Son, Climbers High) is to play the estranged wife. It has yet to be revealed who plays the serial killer.

Director, Keishi Otomo, is an experienced hand at converting manga into live action pieces, having previously directed the Samurai drama series,...

Exclusive: The manga adaptation stars Shun Oguri.

Japan’s Gaga Corporation has snagged the international distribution rights to director Keishi Otomo’s upcoming horror thriller Museum.

Based on the cult manga, the film stars Crows Zero star Shun Oguri as a detective hunting down a serial killer. Machiko Ono, who starred in director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Like Father, Like Son, will play his estranged wife. The actor who will play the mysterious serial killer has yet to be revealed.

Warner Bros Pictures Japan will roll out the film domestically on November 12.

Otomo is no stranger to turning manga into live action dramas. He previously directed the Rurouni Kenshin series of samurai dramas.

Gaga’s slate also includes Kore-eda’s Cannes Un Certain Regard title After The Storm, which it is co-distributing with Wild Bunch and manga adaptations Itazurana Kiss The Movie and Ū-ki Yamato’s Drowning Love.

In May, the company picked up international rights to its...

Acclaimed - but little known outside of Japan - manga Museum: The Serial Killer Is Laughing In The Rain is the subject of an up coming live action adaptation in its native land and while the source material may be little known in this part of the world there are plenty of intriguing elements to draw attention to the film. The story here revolves around a police detective on the trailer of a mysterious frog-masked serial killer who becomes aware that his wife is likely an upcoming target. Oguri Shun - a frequent Miike Takashi collaborator - takes on the detective role while director Otomo Keishi made this his follow up film to the massive worldwide success of his Rurouni Kenshin live action adaptations. But...

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It only took four whole years, but director Otomo Keishi's highly-heralded Rurouni Kenshin trilogy is finally coming to the U.S. on limited screens starting in August. The films themselves have had a phenomenal theatrical run in Japan in addition to festivals far and wide, including exclusive screenings in the U.S., though it's fair that fans who haven't resorted to completely pirating the films whilst keeping the faith, probably started losing some. It's hard being a fan and wanting to support films not made available beyond borders, but these things do take a process. That process also includes money, and it's fair to guess that bootlegging probably slows that process down or likely results it into a release more minimal than preferred...I'm not too sure. However,...

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You loved the show watching it on Toonami growing up, and now the celebrated live-action Rurouni Kenshin films are coming to American theaters this fall! Typically I'm leery about recommending Japanese live-action film adaptations — more often than not, they are poorly done and low budget — but this one looks pretty solid! Here are the dates of when you should be looking out for the film to hit a theater near you:

Movie 1: Rurouni Kenshin: Origins, August 8 – 10

Movie 2: Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno, September 12 – 14

Movie 3: Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends, Oct 3 – 5

That's a while to wait! The good news is that the anime is available for you to binge on Netflix! Go do that and remember why you from 10 years ago would've been super psyched about this news!

Based on the manga series “Himitsu – Toppu Shiikuretto” by Reiko Shimizu (first published March, 1999 in Japanese shoujo manga “Melody”), the title has been also adapted into an anime series named Top Secret – The Revelation, by Madhouse.

Set in the late 21st century, an Mri scanner is introduced at the National Research Institute of Police Science’s 9th Forensics Laboratory. The machine is able to scan the memories from even the deceased. As ethical questions arise over the machine’s use, the 9th Forensics Laboratory members, including rookie Ikko Aoki and Chief Tsuyoshi Maki, struggle to solve cases.

Keishi Otomo( Rurouni Kenshin trilogy) will direct an ensemble cast, including Chiaki Kuriyama, Nao Omori, Tori Matsuzaka, Kippei Shiina and Lily Franky. The film will be released in August.

Takashi Miike's As the Gods WillSTORY70%ACTING65%DIRECTING75%VISUALS80%POSITIVESEqual parts of slapstick comedy and gory violenceGreat adaptationMiike's presenceNEGATIVESObviously not for the mainstream audience2016-04-0973%Overall ScoreReader Rating: (2 Votes)83%

After long years of a plethora of failed and mediocre projects, it seems like we are finally experiencing an era where the anime and manga adaptations are actually becoming great films. “Parasyte“, “Assassination Classroom”, “Rurouni Kenshin Trilogy” are just a few of the examples of the particular tendency, and if not for the awful “Attack on Titan” adaptation we would be talking about an absolute phenomenon.

One of the reasons for the phenomenon is Takashi Miike, who has taken on a series of the nonsensical and violent ones (“The Mole Song: Undercover Agent Reiji“, “Ace Attorney”), producing films in a fashion that only he could. “As The Gods Will” is a distinct example of the fact.

The film does not lag one bit,...

Attack on Titan: Part 2 : Is This One of the Worst Live Action Animes Ever?STORY45%ACTING45%DIRECTING40%VISUALS65%POSITIVESThe design of the TitansThe end of the filmJun Kunimura is as cult a presence as everNEGATIVESEverything else2016-04-0749%Overall ScoreReader Rating: (1 Vote)31%

The inconceivable has occurred: the second part of the live-action adaptation of the ultra popular manga and anime is even worse than the first part.

The film continues where the previous installment left off, with Eren captured by the forces of General Kuba, with the introductory scene being one of the few in both installments that is properly directed.

This however, does not last for long, since the next scene occurs in an all-white room with a jukebox and Eren and Shikishima dressed in white, while the latter explains the story behind the events. This, sort of surrealistic scene is a clear indication of Shinji Higuchi’s confusion,...

The original manga series that has sold over 14 million copies and has inspired TV anime, OVAs and manga spinoffs has already finished production and will open in Japan on April 29, during the Golden Week holidays.

Having secured a rather large budget, the film entails an ensemble cast including Hideaki Itō (Princess Blade, Lesson of the Evil) in the lead role of Shōkichi Komachi, Emi Takei (Rurouni Kenshin) as Nanao Akita, Takayuki Yamada, Shun Oguri, Rinko Kikuchi and Eiko Koike.

The pre-production for the film took two years, and filming began in mid-May. Filming then moved in August to Iceland. It was the first time that a Japanese film is shot on location there.

The non-Japanese team members in the original manga have had their names and part of their characters changed. For example, the Thai character Thien is now Jin Mutō, as played by former News band member Tomohisa Yamashita (a.

After a long build up the full trailer for Miike Takashi's big screen adaptation of popular manga and anime series Terra Formars has arrived with our first significant look at the scope of the world and the action at hand. And I would say there is reason for at least cautious optimism. Miike stalwarts Ito Hideaki (Lesson of the Evil, 2012), Yamada Takayuki (Thirteen Assassins, 2010) and Oguri Shin (Crows Zero, 2007), and Rurouni Kenshin star Takei Emi all star in the tale of humanity returning to colonize Mars hundreds of years after leaving moss and cockroaches there to begin the terraforming process and render the planet habitable. What they discover, however, is that the cockroaches have evolved into a race of hulking and ultraviolent aliens...

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To celebrate the Australian release of Parasyte Part 1 on home video, Madman is giving you the chance to win one of Five awesome live-action manga / anime adaptation prize packs!Each prize pack consists of the following:  - Parasyte Part 1 (DVD or Blu-ray)- Lupin the Third (DVD or Blu-ray)- Black Butler (DVD only)- Tokyo Tribe (DVD only)- Rurouni Kenshin (DVD or Blu-ray)- 009-1: The End Of The Beginning (DVD only)- Death Note Movie 1 & 2 Special Edition (DVD + Blu-ray Combo)- Death Note: L Change The World (DVD only)- Gantz Movies 1 & 2 Collection (DVD or Blu-ray)- Hentai Kamen (DVD only)For a chance to win, all you have to do is to follow these two steps:1) Tell me in 35 words or...

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Miike Takashi's live-action adaptation of the hit sci-fi manga Terra Formars is coming to Japanese cinemas in April next year. The film tells the story of humans leaving moss and cockroaches on Mars to make it inhabitable, and when they return to the Red Planet years later, they find themselves in the company of some nasty humanoid cockroaches. The all-star cast include Kikuchi Rinko (Pacific Rim), Fukushima Rila (The Wolverine), Ito Hideaki (Lesson of the Evil), Yamada Takayuki (13 Assassins) and Oguri Shin (Crows Zero) and Takei Emi (Rurouni Kenshin). It certainly looks like Terra Formars has a good chance of becoming one of Miike's biggest blockbusters, and here's a new teaser to give you a taste of what to expect. ...

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Attack on Titan Live Action Movie ReviewSTORY53%ACTING43%DIRECTING45%VISUALS67%The design of the TitansLast half hour of the filmDirectionActingInadequate adaptation2015-10-2552%Overall ScoreReader Rating: (3 Votes)48%

Based on the world-renowned franchise, the live-action edition of Attack on Titan was highly anticipated by fans all over the world and on a personal note, I was eager to watch what Yoshihiro Nishimura, the director of Tokyo Gore Police and a special effects magician could achieve with the depiction of the Titans. However, the fact that the initial director, Tetsuya Nakashima (Confessions), left the project due to artistic differences seemed like a negative, although not one to ruin the movie.

Ι won’t get into much details about the general concept, since I believe it is largely known; thus, here is what happens in the movie. Eren, Armin and Mikasa, frustrated by their constraint inside the wall, decide to secretly break loose.

To celebrate the Australian release of The Admiral: Roaring Currents, the South Korean blockbuster that attracted over 17 million admissions during its theatrical run and became the all-time highest grossing film at the local box office, Twitch and Madman are giving you the chance to win an awesome Asian period epics prize pack!1st Prize (one winner): All of the following (on Blu-rays or DVDs for titles that are available in both formats): From South Korea:- The Admiral: Roaring Currents- Shadowless Sword- War of the Arrows From Japan:- Rurouni Kenshin trilogy- Lone Wolf & Cub 7-disc Ultimate Collection- The Samurai Trilogy From China / Hong Kong: - Master of the Flying Guillotine - Wu Dang- The Myth- The Monkey King- Reign of Assassins2nd Prize (Five winners): One copy of The Admiral:...

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