Latest news with #DriveMyCar
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Drive My Car' Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi to Make His Next Film ‘All of a Sudden' in Paris With Virginie Efira, Tao Okamoto (EXCLUSIVE)
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways 'Drive My Car's Oscar-winning director Ryusuke Hamaguchi is set to make his next film, 'All of a Sudden,' in Paris with a glamorous female duo led by Virginie Efira ('Benedetta') and Tao Okamoto ('The Wolverine'). Hamaguchi, who is currently in Paris preparing for the movie, penned the script with Léa Le Dimna, loosely inspired by a collection of real-life exchanged letters published in the book 'You and I – The Illness Suddenly Get Worse,' by Makiko Miyano and Maho Isono. More from Variety 'All of a Sudden' is produced by David Gauquié, Julien Deris, Jean-Luc Ormières, Renan Artukmaç at Paris-based Cinefrance Studios; Hiroko Matsuda, Kosuke Oshida, Yuji Sadai at Japan's Office Shirous & Bitters End; Bettina Brokemper at Germany's Heimat Film; and Joseph Rouschop at Belgium's Tarantula. Diaphana, who handled Hamaguchi's last three movies, will release 'All of a Sudden' in France, while Bitters End will distribute it in Japan. Cinefrance International is handling world sales outside of Asia which is represented by Bitters End. The two companies will unveil the project to buyers at the Cannes Film Market. Hamaguchi broke through the international scene in a major way in 2022, after garnering four Oscar nominations for 'Drive My Car,' including best director and adapted screenplay, as well as Japan's first ever for best picture, and won for best international feature. Since then, he directed 'Evil Does Not Exist' which premiered at Venice and won the Silver Lion and the Fipresci prize, and the experimental silent piece 'Gift.' 'After 'Drive My Car,' I received various offers and this was the only one that caught my attention at that time because I was so deeply moved by the correspondence between these two women,' said Hamaguchi during an interview, alongside Gauquié, Ormières and Artukmaç, at the offices of Cinefrance in Paris. In the book 'You and I — The Illness Suddenly Get Worse,' which was brought to Hamaguchi by Matsuda from Office Shirous, a philosopher and an anthropologist are exchanging letters discussing their thoughts on chance and risk, and their relationship develops into something more personal when the philosopher's health suddenly deteriorates. 'Death becomes a subject they discuss and exchange a lot about, and gradually, it becomes an encounter between two souls,' says Hamaguchi, who ultimately decided to transpose the story in France, and turn the epistolary relationship into a real one between two women, a Japanese theater director and French director of a nursing home. The film will shoot mainly in Paris. 'I'd like to show a Paris that's a little different from the clichés we might have about the city,' says Hamaguchi. 'I'm starting to discover some places that aren't touristy. So I think that will give a slightly different view of Paris than usual,' he continued. 'All of the Sudden' will mark Hamaguchi's first collaboration with Gauquié at Cinefrance, whom he met in 2022 during one of his trips to Japan once the country had reopened its borders after the pandemic. 'I had been eager to meet (Hamaguchi) for some time because I love his work so we sat at a café in Shibuya and instead of discussing a specific project, we talked about French cinema in general,' Gauquié says. The producer said he noticed Hamaguchi was French cinema buff and 'expressed (their) clear intention to produce (his) next feature.' 'French cinema has always been an important inspiration for me but also for many other Japanese people and Japanese filmmakers. Chabrol, of course, but to a larger extent the Nouvelle Vague,' says Hamaguchi, who also cited 'Rohmer, Rivette, Godard, Truffaut, obviously, and even before them Grémillon, Becker, Renoir and Bresson.' He's currently 'trying desperately to learn French,' he says, adding that 'much of my vision as a filmmaker is also based on French cinema.' Hamaguchi and Gauquié were also connected through Kiyoshi Kurosawa who made his 2024 thriller 'Serpent's Path' with Cinefrance. 'Knowing that David (Gauquié) had worked with Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who is one of my teachers, it was as if the stars were aligned for us to work on this project together,' says Hamaguchi. When they started developing the project, Hamaguchi explains that they thought about what could create this bridge between France and Japan, and came up with a treatment approach called 'humanitude.' 'It's French method that was imported in Japan and is now practiced in several venues there, and puts the human dimension at the heart of the treatment care, for the integrity of each human being.' The concept of 'humanitude' is applied to other fields, including the film world. Speaking of the cast, Hamaguchi says he's known Virginie Efira 'mainly through the films she made with Paul Verhoeven, particularly 'Benedetta.'' 'When I found out I was going to be able to work with her, I was really eager and happy,' he continued. As for Okamoto, he saw her in James Mangold's 'Wolverine' and noted she 'also started a career in Japan.' 'They are both really talented actresses,' pointed out Hamaguchi. For the last two years, the Japanese filmmaker has been traveling to France to develop his project and even hosted a workshop with French actors to see how they work. 'It's an approach I've never seen before, but I found it very interesting,' Gauquié said. The film is co-production between France, Belgium, Germany and Japan. 'Ryusuke (Hamaguchi) is a very unique filmmaker who is extremely skilled at writing dialogues,' said Sadai at Japan's Office Shirous & Bitters End. 'His scripts and mise en scene make him stand out of all other directors in Japan,' Sadai continued. Best of Variety Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Japan Times
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Haruki Murakami TV adaptation revisits 30 years of watershed moments
For decades, Haruki Murakami has captivated readers worldwide with his brand of offbeat existentialism and urban malaise, exploring Japan's psyche through surreal intrigues that blur past and present, the ordinary and the supernatural. His short stories and novels have inspired a wealth of stage and film adaptations, including Ryusuke Hamaguchi's Oscar-winning 'Drive My Car' (2021). It isn't until now, however, that the author is making his first foray into television with NHK's new four-episode miniseries, 'After the Quake,' which will air Saturdays from April 5. Directed by studio veteran Tsuyoshi Inoue and scripted by Takamasa Oe, the series adapts four tales from the author's short story collection of the same name and brings Murakami's singular sensibility to life through an impressive ensemble cast and thoughtful world-building. Oe and executive producer Teruhisa Yamamoto previously served as co-writer and producer, respectively, of 'Drive My Car.' 'Grasping the concepts that dwell within the passages of Murakami's stories and transforming them into images is a challenge like swimming in a vast ocean,' Yamamoto tells The Japan Times over email. 'The ocean is deep but also tranquil and beautiful. It's probably because of our previous experience that we were able to swim across it at all.' 'After the Quake' brings author Haruki Murakami's work to television for the first time, with episodes adapted from the eponymous story collection. | © NHK 'UFO in Kushiro,' the first episode that is scheduled to air this Saturday, transports the viewer to the immediate aftermath of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake. Young Tokyoite Komura (Masaki Okada) observes stoically as his wife Mimei (Ai Hashimoto) maintains a days-long vigil in front of the TV, stricken dumb by round-the-clock reportage of the devastation and growing casualty toll. Komura returns home one day to find their home stripped bare of his wife's belongings. 'You have nothing inside you that you can give me,' she writes in her parting letter. 'Living with you is like living with a chunk of air.' So begins a series of events that culminates in Komura's solo trip to Hokkaido with a mysterious package in tow, his life shaken to its core by the belated realization of how little he and his wife knew of each other. The stories in 'After the Quake' were written in the years following the 1995 earthquake and explore the event's ripple effects across Japanese society. As longtime Murakami translator Jay Rubin writes in 'Haruki Murakami and the Music of Words,' the disaster and its aftershocks force characters who live far from the epicenter 'to confront an emptiness they have borne inside them for years.' The NHK drama begins in 1995, but each successive episode shifts forward in time, adapting the source material to skirt the edges of other major events from the past three decades, including the Great East Japan Earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic. In effect, the scope of Murakami's reflection on fin de siecle Japan is extended into a retrospective of contemporary history and large-scale incidents that have shaped more than one generation and left their imprint on the nation at large. Like in the original stories, the characters remain on the peripheries, but the gravitational pull exerted by each catastrophe has bearing on their destinies. Though the disasters occur off-screen, the routine rhythms of individual lives are violently disrupted, surfacing long-hidden tensions that all but demand release — and often leave in their wake more questions than answers. In every 45-minute episode, Inoue deftly captures the outline of a world — and the essence of the people who inhabit it — that Murakami conveys in his characteristic straightforward prose. 'UFO in Kushiro' offers a view onto the strangeness and stifled sorrow of the characters' inner lives through nuanced portrayals by Okada, Hashimoto and Erika Karata (who plays a character named Shimao). Other memorable performances from the series include Shinichi Tsutsumi in the role of disheveled artist Miyake in 'Landscape with Flatiron,' and Daichi Watanabe as the adult version of Yoshiya, a young man who has all but renounced his devout upbringing, in 'All God's Children Can Dance.' "After the Quake" brings Haruki Murakami's singular sensibility to life through an impressive ensemble cast and thoughtful world-building. | © NHK Multi-instrumentalist Yoshihide Otomo's score, by turns melancholic, whimsical and sinister, adds further texture to the narrative landscape. According to Yamamoto, Otomo visited the production in person and improvised on electric guitar. 'The musical world was made possible by Otomo's wonderful sensitivity,' Yamamoto says. The characters and stories are linked across space and time by a handful of totems: a plain white box, a refrigerator, a frog. The wonder and dread characteristic of a megalopolis like Tokyo are handily expressed through striking visuals such as a tilt-shift shot of the Shinjuku skyline and an unsettlingly swift pan to follow a train racing down an underground passage. Meanwhile, other settings like coastal Ibaraki Prefecture and a secluded religious compound are also well-delineated in their quietude and wistfulness. Where the adaptation falters slightly is in the visual effects, which are thankfully sparse until the fourth and final episode. The episode in question was conceived as a sequel to 'Super-Frog Saves Tokyo' from the story collection, following up with the same characters in 2025. Though some degree of stylization is unavoidable when an anthropomorphic talking frog (voiced by Non) is an integral part of the plot, the episode's departure into a subterranean realm is not as impactful as the human dramas enacted in the previous stories. At a press conference last month, Okada, Hashimoto and Karata each expressed a sense of bewilderment at but reverence for Murakami's abstruse themes and peculiar characters. 'I read the story and screenplay over and over again,' Okada shared in a public statement. 'But I still feel like I'm constantly thinking about it, even though the shoot is over. ... Perhaps there is no end to this story.' [bio]'After the Quake' airs Saturdays, starting from April 5. For more information, visit
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Phoenix Waters, Studio Target Sign Tri-Regional Film-TV Partnership, Set ‘Shashou' (EXCLUSIVE)
Hong Kong's Phoenix Waters Productions and South Korea's Studio Target have inked a memorandum of understanding to bolster cross-border collaboration spanning Hong Kong, Korea and the U.K. The strategic alliance, revealed during Hong Kong FilMart, will focus on jointly developing, financing and producing films, series and microdramas — the latter being short-form digital content that has gained significant traction throughout Asia as vehicles for audience engagement and brand integration. More from Variety 'Drive My Car' Producer Backs First Feature From Sakamoto Yukari Isabel Sandoval Wraps 'Moonglow' Indonesian Actor Reza Rahadian Sets 'Pangku' Leading the partnership's initial slate is 'Shashou,' an international action thriller that pays homage to classic Hong Kong cinema while incorporating Western influences. Set to commence production later this year with a global cast, the project has already secured participation from Berkeley Media Group and Ostara Pictures, with SC Films International handling sales and MAD Solutions acquiring MENA rights. 'Amidst the various challenges facing the global film and media industry, I believe that our collaboration and innovation will be key to illuminating the future,' said Doyeon Julia Kim, CEO of Studio Target. 'Through this partnership, we will maximize diverse investment resources and production capabilities in each region, produce commercially successful content, and achieve global market expansion.' The alliance emerges against a backdrop of industry challenges. Hong Kong's film sector has been seeking new avenues for growth and international expansion, while Korea's industry grapples with sustainability issues amid escalating production costs and stagnant budgets. As part of the collaboration, Studio Target will handle the South Korean release of 'Tape' later this year, highlighting the growing synergy between the companies. Phoenix Waters Productions, recognized for East-West collaborations, has been instrumental in revitalizing Hong Kong cinema through projects like 'Tape,' 'Forensic Psychologist,' and 'The Audition.' Meanwhile, Studio Target has established itself as a powerhouse in South Korean film production, recently producing box office hit 'Hitman 2.' 'This partnership represents more than just a business deal — it's a commitment to building a sustainable future for Hong Kong and Korean cinema,' said Bizhan Tong, CEO of Phoenix Waters Productions. 'By combining our creative and production strengths, we aim to develop films and series that resonate on a global scale, showcasing the incredible talent and rich storytelling from these regions.' Both companies are inviting global investors, distributors, and industry leaders to participate in the initiative as they advance their slate of projects. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025
USA Today
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Super Bowl XXXIX: Inside the numbers of Jacksonville's Super Sunday, 20 years ago
Super Bowl XXXIX: Inside the numbers of Jacksonville's Super Sunday, 20 years ago The scoreboard at Alltel Stadium read 24-21, but on the night that lifted Jacksonville into the club of Super Bowl host cities, the final score was only the beginning. Thursday marks 20 years to the day since Super Bowl XXXIX arrived in Jacksonville, bringing the New England Patriots, the Philadelphia Eagles and the eyes of much of the planet to the First Coast on Feb. 6, 2015. Here are some of the numbers to remember from Jacksonville's week in the Super Bowl spotlight. 0: Amount of food remaining at some Super Bowl XXXIX vendors by the second half. Oops. 1: Number of Super Bowls held in Jacksonville. 2: Interceptions by New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison in Super Bowl XXXIX, one shy of the game's record. 3: Number of special park-and-ride lots opened ahead of Super Bowl festivities from Thursday through Sunday. Those lots were at Interstate 10 and Lane Avenue, Interstate 95 and Emerson Street and the Imeson Industrial Park lots along Busch Drive. 3: Number of roasted pepper types (red, yellow and green) served for the famously vegetarian Paul McCartney, in a menu prepared by Florida Community College at Jacksonville Culinary School lead instructor Joe Harrold. Also on the menu, per Times-Union archives: a salad of wild mushrooms with fresh herb balsamic dressing; creamy tofu hummus; black bean and corn salad; marinated grilled tofu steaks with a fresh tomato and red onion salsa; eggplant casserole topped off with shredded vegan cheese; brown rice and assorted baby organic vegetables; and organic fruits with a sweet soy yogurt. 4: Songs performed by Paul McCartney on the Alltel Stadium field during the halftime show. Theset list: "Drive My Car," "Get Back," "Live and Let Die" and "Hey Jude." 7: Planes used for two separate Super Bowl flyovers. The first featured vintage aircraft, a B-25 escorted by two T-6 Texans. The second wave included two F/A 22 Raptors and two F/A-18 Super Hornets. 7: Trash trucks — two measuring 13 yards in length, five 18 yards — used to clear trash, litter and general debris from the Jacksonville Landing. 7: Super Bowl championships won by Tom Brady. Super Bowl XXXIX was his third. 7: Driving distance, in miles, between Alltel Stadium and Raines High School, where Eagles defensive backs Brian Dawkins and Lito Sheppard played. 8: Hours of pregame coverage on Fox leading up to Super Bowl XXXIX, beginning at 10 a.m. 15.59: Weight, in pounds, of the seven bass caught by former Jaguars lineman Eugene Chung and Wayne Stumpe to win the VIP portion of the Super Celebration Bass Tournament in Palatka on the Saturday before the game. 34: Fox TV cameras at Alltel Stadium for the game. 35: In dollars, price of a Patriots championship cap after the game. 39: New homeowners at the HabiJax SuperBuild XXXIX dedication in Jacksonville on the Wednesday before the Super Bowl, part of the NFL home-construction program with Habitat for Humanity. 58.9: TV rating (with a 77 share) for Super Bowl XXXIX among Jacksonville viewers, the highest recorded since Nielsen Media Research added the city in 1998. That was the third-highest rating recorded to that point for any city for any Super Bowl. 101: Number of golf balls landing on the green, out of 1,650 attempts, for the 17th hole at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass at the Tuesday party for media and the Super Bowl XXXIX host committee. 160: NFL Alumni Association members playing the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course on the Friday before Super Bowl XXXIX. 190: Number of Jacksonville Transportation Authority shuttle buses used on Super Bowl Sunday. 200: Concourse level at Alltel Stadium, where a plumbing overflow spewed water into malodorous puddles during the Super Bowl. Susie Wiles — then spokeswoman for Mayor John Peyton, now White House Chief of Staff in the administration of President Donald Trump — attributed the problem to a pipe failure on the stadium's west side, unrelated to the stadium's packed capacity. 308: Yards rushing for Jerome Messam of Team Canada against Team USA in the Global Junior Championship, played at the Bolles School the night before the Super Bowl. 357: Passing yards for Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb in Super Bowl XXXIX. It wasn't enough. 400: In dollars, minimum ticket price for the Taste of the NFL event at ATP headquarters in Ponte Vedra. 1,558: Jacksonville's days to prepare between Nov. 1, 2000, when NFL owners voted to award the city hosting rights for Super Bowl XXXIX, and Feb. 6, 2005, when the game kicked off. 3,667: Number of rooms in five cruise ships docked in the St. Johns River for Super Bowl XXXIX. The ships — the Seven Seas Navigator, Carnival Miracle and Holland America's Volendam, Zaandam and Zuiderdam — provided Jacksonville the necessary luxury lodging capacity of 17,500 required to hold the Super Bowl. 4,600: In dollars, maximum street price observed for Super Bowl tickets on the day of the game. 9,000: Local volunteers for Super Bowl XXXIX events. 10,000: Estimated attendance for rapper Snoop Dogg's Snooper Bowl, a charity youth football game for ages 9 to 12, at Raines High School on the Saturday before Super Bowl XXXIX. 10,000: Estimated rental cars used at Jacksonville International Airport during Super Bowl XXXIX weekend. 18,355: Career rushing yards for NFL all-time leader Emmitt Smith. Three days before the Super Bowl, the former Florida Gator announced his retirement at a press conference inside Jacksonville's Prime Osborn Convention Center. 25,000: Estimated fliers departing the airport on the Monday after the Super Bowl, more than three times the usual average. 40,000: Visitors to the St. Marys Mardi Gras in Georgia on the Saturday before Super Bowl XXXIX. 50,000: Visitors at the Jacksonville Landing on the night before Super Bowl XXXIX. 68,000: Winner's share, in dollars per player, for Super Bowl XXXIX. 78,125: Number of fans attending Super Bowl XXXIX. 2.4 million: Price, in dollars, of a 30-second commercial during Super Bowl XXXIX. 12 million: Estimated amount, in dollars, raised by the Jacksonville Super Bowl Host Committee. 86,072,000: People in the United States who watched Super Bowl XXXIX, per Nielsen statistics. In a March 2005 release, the NFL recorded millions of international viewers as well, including more than 20 million in China, 12 million in Mexico, 4 million in Japan and 2 million in the United Kingdom.
