Japan Declares Second State of Emergency in Tokyo

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefSingapore-based TV production firm, Beach House Pictures is expanding its Asian production capacity. It has acquired a majority stake in Japanese producer Vesuvius Pictures and appointed Felix Feng as GM in China.Founded in 2012, Vesuvius specializes in premium original factual, factual entertainment, reality and scripted programming.

Refresh for latest…: Disney/Pixar’s Soul got off to a jazzy start in Korea this weekend, debuting at No. 1 and seeing the second best bow for a non-local title since the Covid pandemic began. The Pete Docter-directed original also launched in Russia, at No. 1, and came in ahead of several pre-Covid animation openings. In total, Soul led the international box office with a $10.4M weekend from 13 markets. See more on Soul below.

Ryuichi Sakamoto has announced that he has been diagnosed with rectal cancer. In a statement posted on his website, the beloved Japanese composer confirmed that a recent surgery was successful and that he's currently undergoing treatment.

Jamie Lang Germany’s ZDF Enterprises (ZDFE) has scored international distribution rights to “Inside Japan’s War,” a new four-part docu-series from Wildbear Entertainment.“Inside Japan’s War” combines archive material, first-person accounts, interviews with historical and cultural experts, modern graphics and contemporary images to lift the veil on why it was that Japan went to war in the first place.Having built one of the world’s largest empires, Japan’s political structure at the time stoked

Nintendo Switch dominated the Japanese market in 2020, selling over six million units and accounting for 87 per cent of all consoles sales in the country, according to a new report.New data from Famitsu/Kadokawa (via gamesindustry.biz) shows that the popular hybrid console maintained a strong lead over its competitors in the Japanese market, despite the release of next-gen consoles in Q4 2020.It sold over six million units in Japan in 2020, well ahead of its closest rival the PS4 with 542,000

After directing the television series Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter for Japanese network NHK BS Premium, Gorô Miyazaki returned to his roots at Studio Ghibli, looking to take on his first film in “full 3D CG.”

Mark Schilling Japan Correspondent“Crazy Samurai: 400 vs. 1,” a period swashbuckler starring Tak Sakaguchi (“Versus”) as the legendary warrior Miyamoto Musashi, is wowing fans outside Japan as it moves from the international festival circuit to streaming.

Mid East distributor and rising producer Front Row Filmed Entertainment has teamed with Saudi Arabian theater chain Muvi Cinemas on a new Saudi-based distribution company. The joint-venture, Front Row Arabia, is set to focus on western, Arabic language and Japanese anime theatrical releases across the kingdom, with its first release being the Liam Neeson actioner The Marksman on Jan.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentExpanding Middle East indie film distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment has forged a joint venture with Saudi Arabian exhibition chain Muvi Cinemas to launch Front Row Arabia, with ambitious plans to cash in on Saudi’s current theatrical boom.The new distribution and exhibition company will be releasing English, Arabic, Japanese anime and alternative content across Saudi which — bucking the global downward trend — in 2020 became the Middle East’s

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterBenoît Jutras, the composer behind many Cirque du Soleil productions, is developing a slate of original musicals for the stage and screen.The first project will be a rock opera that traces Japan’s Imperial Family through the final days of World War II.

A “soft” state of emergency has been declared in Tokyo and three surrounding districts as authorities tackle rising Covid-19 cases.

Sony Interactive Entertainment has reportedly ceased production of most PS4 models in Japan, including the PS4 Pro.This is according to a new Game Watch report, which claims that the only PS4 model that will remain in production is the Jet Black 500GB PS4 Slim.

Mark Schilling Japan CorrespondentAnticipating that the Japanese government may again call for movie theaters to temporarily close in Greater Tokyo due to an upsurge of coronavirus cases, Toho Cinemas and other leading exhibitors are halting sales of advance tickets for cinemas in the areas.

Hayao Miyazaki's nearly two-decade reign atop Japan's all-time box office rankings has come to an end. Runaway anime blockbuster Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train became Japan's biggest box-office hit of all time over the weekend, pushing Miyazaki's beloved classic Spirited Away (2001) into second place.

Mark Schilling Japan Correspondent“Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train,” the animated film that has become the Japanese entertainment world tsunami of 2020, pushed its cumulative earnings to $313.7 million (JPY32.5 billion) over the Dec. 26-27 weekend.