Latest news with #MindGame
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gkids Acquires Multiple Territories For Japanese Action Sci-Fi Animated Feature ‘All You Need Is Kill'
EXCLUSIVE: Gkids has acquired multiple territories for Japanese animated action sci-fi drama All You Need Is Kill, including for North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. The movie is based on the eponymous best-selling novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka which also inspired Doug Liman's 2014 live-action adaptation Edge of Tomorrow with Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. More from Deadline Laika Signs 'Corpse Bride' & 'Frankenweenie' Screenwriter John August To Write Stop-Motion Teen Missing Mother Drama For Pete Candeland 'The Cat In The Hat' Team Defend Warners' Decision To Shelve 'Coyote Vs. Acme': "We Are Lucky To Do Art In Our Profession But We Can't Lock Ourselves In A Basement" 'Arcane' Showrunner Christian Linke On Exploring Character Relationships & Artistic "Extremes" For Season 2 The directorial debut of Kenichiro Akimoto, with a script written by Yuichiro Kido, the new animated adaptation world premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival earlier this week in the Midnight Specials section. All You Need Is Kill is produced by Warner Bros. Japan with animation production by celebrated Japanese animation house Studio 4°C (Tekkonkinkreet, Mind Game). Studio 4°C, which is also at Annecy this year with Yasuhiro Aoki's drama ChaO in the main competition, will be hosting a studio presentation at the festival on Friday, in the presence of the directors and producers for both titles. Set in the near future, All You Need Is Kill follows the story of Rita, a resourceful but isolated young woman volunteering to help rebuild Japan after the mysterious appearance of a massive alien flower known as 'Darol.' When Darol unexpectedly erupts in a deadly event, unleashing monstrous creatures that decimate the population, Rita is caught in the destruction—and killed. But then she wakes up again. And again. Caught in an endless time loop, Rita must navigate the trauma and repetition of death until she crosses paths with Keiji, a shy young man trapped in the same cycle. Together, they fight to break free from the loop and find meaning in the chaos around them. 'With All You Need Is Kill, I wanted to convey that even in the endless loop of life, we can still make discoveries and grow, depending on how we perceive the situation,' said Akimoto. 'All You Need Is Kill is a standout work that explores time, identity, and survival with breathtaking animation and a powerful emotional core,' said Gkids President Dave Jesteadt. 'The story has remained so meaningful for years because it captures something essential about the human condition, and the need to keep moving forward. Director Akimoto has created a brilliant new take that we are sure fans will love.' Gkids and Studio 4°C have previously collaborated on releases for Mind Game, Children of the Sea, while Gkids also recently acquired ChaO, and several other celebrated titles. Further details on the release will be announced at a later date. The deal was negotiated between GKIDS' Director of Acquisitions and Development Rodney Uhler, and Warner Bros. Japan. Best of Deadline List Of Hollywood & Media Layoffs From Paramount To Warner Bros Discovery To CNN & More Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' Feud In Court, Online & In The Media
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Japan Cuts to Open With Yasuhiro Aoki's ‘ChaO,' Festival's 2025 Lineup Unveiled
The upcoming 18th edition of Japan Cuts, North America's largest festival of contemporary Japanese cinema, will kick off with a special screening of ChaO, the hotly anticipated animated feature debut from director Yasuhiro Aoki. Produced by Studio 4°C, the avant-garde animation house behind Mind Game and Tekkonkinkreet, ChaO reimagines a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale through a cyberpunk lens, transporting audiences to a near-future Shanghai where humans and mermen coexist. The story follows an ordinary salaryman who is unexpectedly thrust into a diplomatic marriage with a mermaid princess, triggering a whirlwind of political absurdity and emotional discovery. With over 100,000 hand-drawn frames created over the course of seven years, Aoki's film is described as a visually extravagant and emotionally idiosyncratic passion project. Japan Cuts is hosting its U.S. premiere ahead of its theatrical release in Japan in August. Gkids has acquired the domestic rights to the film. More from The Hollywood Reporter Canadian Industry Rebuffs Trump's DEI Rollback Sony Music Publishing Acquires Hipgnosis Songs Group Trump's Trade War Will Loom Large Over the Banff World Media Fest Running July 10–20 at the Japan Society's headquarters in New York City, Japan Cuts is co-organized by Japan Society's Peter Tatara and Alexander Fee, and this year features three world premieres, nine North American premieres, and a host of special guests, receptions and live Q&As. 'We're deeply proud to celebrate Japanese film in the heart of New York City,' said Tatara. 'Each year, Japan Cuts presents a look into the contemporary Japanese cinema scene, spotlighting both major award-winners as well as rising stars, and we hope this festival helps build bridges between film lovers in New York and filmmakers in Japan — and more broadly between our two countries — with film a tremendous snapshot into modern Japan's culture, values and soul.' Among this year's marquee guests is prolific director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who will receive the 2025 Cut Above Award for outstanding achievement in film. Kurosawa will attend the New York premiere of his latest thriller Cloud as well as a screening of Serpent's Path, his 2024 French-language remake of his own 1998 V-Cinema title. Both films will be presented alongside Q&As with Kurosawa. Japan Cuts will also screen 4K restorations of the original Serpent's Path and his rarely seen 1998 feature License to Live on 35mm film. Award-winning actress Yuumi Kawai, this year's best actress honoree at the Japan Academy Film Prize, will also make an appearance. Kawai will present the North American premiere of Yu Irie's A Girl Named Ann, in which she stars as a young woman navigating life on the margins of Japanese society, as well as the U.S. premiere of She Taught Me Serendipity, directed by Akiko Ohku. Kawai also delivers a standout performance in Teki Cometh, Daihachi Yoshida's genre-bending black-and-white thriller that swept the Tokyo International Film Festival and will get its New York premiere at the festival. Further highlights include The Real You, Yuya Ishii's dark techno-mystery adapted from a novel by Keiichiro Hirano, with a live introduction and book signing from the author; A Samurai in Time, a breakout indie hit about a time-traveling Edo-era warrior; and Kowloon Generic Romance, a dreamy manga adaptation set in a romanticized version of the Kowloon Walled City. Shunji Iwai's beloved 1995 classic Love Letter will also return to the big screen in a newly restored 4K version, marking the film's 30th anniversary. The Next Generation section, the festival's sole juried category, will present a curated selection of indie features from emerging directors, with one film receiving the Obayashi Prize, named in honor of the late cult filmmaker Nobuhiko Obayashi. Japan Cuts will close on July 20 with the world premiere of The Spirit of Japan, a documentary by Joseph Overbey about a Japanese family's centuries-old shochu distillery in Kagoshima. The screening will be followed by a reception featuring shochu from the Yamatozakura Distillery and a Q&A with Overbey. The full 2025 Japan Cuts selection is below. Feature Slate Blazing Fists – Dir. Takashi Miike (U.S. Premiere)ChaO – Dir. Yasuhiro Aoki (Special Screening / Opening Night)Cloud – Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa (New York Premiere)The Gesuidouz – Dir. Kenichi Ugana (U.S. Premiere)A Girl Named Ann – Dir. Yu Irie (North American Premiere)Gridman Universe – Dir. Akira Amemiya (North American Theatrical Premiere)Kaiju Guy! – Dir. Junichiro Yagi (North American Premiere)Kowloon Generic Romance – Dir. Chihiro Ikeda (World Premiere)My Sunshine – Dir. Hiroshi Okuyama (New York Premiere)The Real You – Dir. Yuya Ishii (North American Premiere)A Samurai in Time – Dir. Junichi Yasuda (New York Premiere)Serpent's Path (2024) – Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa (East Coast Premiere)She Taught Me Serendipity – Dir. Akiko Ohku (U.S. Premiere)Teki Cometh – Dir. Daihachi Yoshida (New York Premiere)Yasuko, Songs of Days Past – Dir. Kichitaro Negishi (North American Premiere) Next Generation Michiyuki – Voices of Time – Dir. Hiromichi Nakao (World Premiere of Final Version)See You Tomorrow – Dir. Saki Michimoto (North American Premiere)Promised Land – Dir. Masashi Iijima (New York Theatrical Premiere)So Beautiful, Wonderful and Lovely – Dir. Megumi Okawara (North American Premiere) Classics License to Live – Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Archival 35mm Screening)Love Letter – Dir. Shunji Iwai (International Premiere of 4K Restoration)Serpent's Path (1998) – Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa (North American Premiere of 4K Restoration) Short Cuts End of Dinosaurs – Dir. Kako Annika Esashi (U.S. Premiere)Flow – Dir. Shoko Tamai (New York Premiere)I Am Not Invisible – Dir. Yuki York (U.S. Premiere)Tree of Sinners – Dir. Rii Ishihara & Hiroyuki Onogawa (North American Premiere) Documentary Japanese Avant-Garde Pioneers – Dir. Amélie Ravalec (New York Premiere)The Spirit of Japan – Dir. Joseph Overbey (World Premiere / Closing Night)What Should We Have Done? – Dir. Tomoaki Fujino (New York Premiere) Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Acclaimed Anime Director Masaaki Yuasa Announces Next Feature ‘Daisy's Life,' Coming in 2026 (EXCLUSIVE)
Celebrated Japanese animation director Masaaki Yuasa has unveiled the debut project from his newly established animation studio, ame pippin. Titled 'Daisy's Life,' the feature is a Japanese-French co-production based on Banana Yoshimoto's novel Hinagiku no Jinsei, with original illustrations by renowned artist Yoshitomo Nara. The film is set for delivery in 2026. Yuasa is best known for his surreal storytelling and bold visual style in films such as 'Mind Game,' 'Lu Over the Wall,' and the Golden Globe-nominated 'Inu-Oh.' He launched ame pippin in February 2025 with the goal of pushing artistic boundaries in the animation world. Backed by heavyweights Asmik Ace, Inc., Aniplex Inc. and CoMix Wave Films, the Tokyo-based studio aims to be a major force in the ever-evolving global animation landscape. More from Variety Iconic 'Mind Game,' 'Inu-Oh' Director Masaaki Yuasa Launches New Tokyo Studio Ame Pippin (EXCLUSIVE) 'Chicken for Linda!' Directors Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach Toon Up Mortality-Minded Adaptation 'My Stupid Intentions' (EXCLUSIVE) Kinology Boards Buzzy Animated Musical 'Ogresse' (EXCLUSIVE) 'Daisy's Life' follows the emotional journey of a six-year-old girl named Daisy, who loses her mother in a tragic accident and struggles to adapt to life with her aunt. One sleepless night, she encounters a mysterious girl named Dahlia at her window. Their days together begin to transcend time and space, bringing a cosmic perspective to Daisy's modest life in a downtown yakisoba restaurant. Of his new project, Yuasa explained, 'Even among the works of Ms. Banana Yoshimoto, this is a novel that evokes visual images throughout, and while there are parts that are vividly scary, the final passage is very happy, like something I had dreamed of in the past. I would like to depict the life of the protagonist who works for a yakisoba restaurant in a downtown area with a 100-meter radius on a cosmic scale.' Yuasa is teaming up with acclaimed screenwriter Sachiko Tanaka, whose previous work includes 'Before We Vanish' and 'Asako I & II,' in her first foray into animation. Yoshitomo Nara will lend his distinct artistic style to the childhood character designs, adding a touch of emotional realism to the film's dreamlike tone. Production is being spearheaded by Asmik Ace, Inc., a company with a storied history in both live-action and animated cinema, known for titles like 'Tekkonkinkreet' and 'Paranoia Agent.' The film is co-produced with France's Miyu Productions, which recently won awards at Cannes and Annecy for Flóra Anna Buda's short '27' and Sébastien Laudenbach and Chiara Malta's feature 'Chicken for Linda!' Miyu producers Emmanuel-Alain Raynal and Pierre Baussaron expressed excitement about their renewed collaboration with Asmik Ace and the opportunity to work with Yuasa, saying, 'After a first fruitful collaboration with Asmik Ace on Yoshitoshi Shinomiya's 'A New Dawn' we are delighted and honored to renew our partnership on the next project by Masaaki Yuasa, one of the greatest animation filmmakers of our time' Yuasa's resume more than supports such praise. Since his groundbreaking debut with 'Mind Game' in 2004, he has consistently pushed the artistic potential of animation. His previous studio Science Saru, which he co-founded in 2013, produced hits such as 'Devilman Crybaby,' 'Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!' and Netflix's 'Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.' Now with ame pippin, Yuasa embarks on a new creative chapter, one that blends deeply personal storytelling with experimental visual ambition. As anime continues its global rise across streaming and theatrical platforms, 'Daisy's Life' marks not just a new film from one of Japan's greatest living anime directors, but a bold mission statement for the future of auteur-driven animation from the country. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
