News

Japan Latest To Remake Simon Cowell’s ‘Got Talent’

Japan’s Abema TV has become the latest to order a version of Simon Cowell’s Got Talent franchise. Airing next year, Yoshimito Kyogo will produce the local version of the hit format, which has been remade in 72 territories and sees performers of all varieties attempt to impress a panel of celebrity judges and global audience with their talent. Judges will be comedian and actor Masatoshi Hamada, actress Alice Hirose, musician Gackt and producer Takayuki Yamada. The show has been a huge hit over many years for ITV in the UK, where it was created by Cowell’s Fremantle-backed Syco Entertainment and is licensed by Fremantle. The deal was brokered by Fremantle’s Katsuhiko Waza, who is Senior Vice President, Distribution, Japan; Paul Ridley, Senior Executive Vice President, International Distribution; and Stephen Flint, Director of Operations, Global Entertainment Production.

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Midnight Moves

Korean film sales agent Finecut has struck several deals for action thriller “Project Wolf Hunting” ahead of its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival’s Midnight Madness section. In Asia, the film has been licensed to Moviecloud for Taiwan, Multivision Multimedia for India, Sahamongkolfilm International for Thailand, The Klockworx for Japan. Finecut also closed a deal with A Contracorriente Films for Spain, Prime Time Media for Cis and Well Go USA for Canada and the U.S. The film set on board a cargo ship which is being used to transport dangerous criminals from the Philippines to Busan, Korea. An escape attempt leads to a riot which in turn unleashes a sinister force. The film is directed by Kim Hongsun and will have a theatrical release in Korea from Sept. 21.

Three Out Of Five Ain’T Bad

Western Australia recently launched a A20 million (13.4 million) production attraction incentive scheme.

Hitoshi Matsumoto has a big reputation among his fellow Japanese peers, and he's considered to be a very, very funny guy. He made his name on television and the country's popular form of comedy known as owarai, playing the boke half of the duo known as “Downtown” with his friend Masatoshi Hamada. Now, boke is the universally recognizable comedic trope of the one who misinterprets everything and appears to be a slight airhead. After watching Matsumoto's latest feature film "R100," which has been making its festival rounds this year, the conscious force that's working against any kind of straight-forward, easily-understandable and anchored narrative in the film makes sense to have the fruit of its artistic loins planted in misinterpretation and airheadedness. And that's not meant to be a slight against Matsumoto. On the contrary, it is the fool and the village idiot who usually has the right of it in...

Hitoshi Matsumoto has a big reputation among his fellow Japanese peers, and he's considered to be a very, very funny guy. He made his name on television and the country's popular form of comedy known as owarai, playing the boke half of the duo known as “Downtown” with his friend Masatoshi Hamada. Now, boke is the universally recognizable comedic trope of the one who misinterprets everything and appears to be a slight airhead. After watching Matsumoto's latest feature film "R100," which has been making its festival rounds this year, the conscious force that's working against any kind of straight-forward, easily-understandable and anchored narrative in the film makes sense to have the fruit of its artistic loins planted in misinterpretation and airheadedness. And that's not meant to be a slight against Matsumoto. On the contrary, it is the fool and the village idiot who usually has the right of it in...

The directorial debut feature from comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto, the satirical “mockumentary” Big Man Japan is heading for release on R2 UK DVD. One half (alongside partner Masatoshi Hamada) of the hugely popular Japanese comedy duo Dauntaun (Downtown), Matsumoto not only directed, but also co-wrote and starred in this surreal action-comedy about a middle-aged nobody with remarkable powers. Stuffed full of satirical comedy and more mutant monsters than you can shake a stick (see the trailer to work that one out) at, Big Man Japan is a superhero movie like no other. Bmj is release on DVD September 21st.