Warner Bros Discovery Names Buddy Marini As Japanese GM

EXCLUSIVE: Netflix‘s latest original is a Japanese series adaptation of 2011 French film Les Émotifs Anonymes (Romantics Anonymous).

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Warner Bros. Games has hired video game company 2K’s chief marketing officer Melissa Bell as its new executive vice president of global marketing. In her new role, Bell will oversee all aspects of the Warner Bros.

Siddhant Adlakha “Desert of Namibia,” about a caustic 21-year-old Japanese wanderer, embodies its protagonist’s listlessness to a fault. Director Yôko Yamanaka was still a teenager when she made her debut feature “Amiko” in 2017, a sharply funny high school film with the jagged, quick-cut energy of a YouTube travel vlog. It marked her as a Gen Z voice to watch.

Both Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, have been listed as top LGBTQ destinations in the U.S. by different LGBTQ travel guides. Misterb&b, the world’s largest LGBTQ travel community, looked at what cities and places are the most searched for right now by U.S.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Sony is to launch an academy that will develop talent involved in the creation of anime, it was announced on Thursday. The initiative was revealed as part of Japanese electronics and entertainment conglomerate Sony Group Corporation’s annual corporate strategy presentation.

K.J. Yossman Former Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA boss Priya Dogra has joined Comcast-owned Sky in the newly-created role of chief advertising and new revenue officer.

Established in 1932, Japan’s Toho Group has grown into a film-industry powerhouse, not only at home but globally. Working across production, distribution and exhibition, it has recently been on an expansion spree, reeling in box office around the world and with recognition from major awards bodies. 

EXCLUSIVE: Loaded Films founder Eiko Mizuno-Gray and Kinoshita-Kansei Group CEO Masahide Kinoshita have teamed up to launch Tokyo-based production company, Kinofaction, which aims to focus on minority Japanese co-productions.

Refresh for latest…:  After starting early offshore release on John Krasinski’s IF last weekend, Paramount expanded the imaginary friends film to another 56 international box office markets this session. The overseas frame was worth $20M, bringing the international running cume to $24M. With domestic’s $35M debut, the worldwide total is now $59M.

In Japan the very first few snowflakes begin to fall signaling the change of seasons. Another clue is we see young Takuya (Keitatsu Koshiyama) and his baseball-playing buddies taking those final swings at bat and moving on to ice hockey. That is basically how this quiet and lilting charmer of a coming-of-age story is introduced, and it sets the table perfectly for what is to follow.

Ellise Shafer Cate Blanchett‘s new film “Rumours” took its name from the iconic Fleetwood Mac album, it was revealed on Sunday at a Cannes Film Festival press conference. The dark comedy, directed by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson, follows a group of world leaders who meet at the G7 — a political and economic meeting of the minds between Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States — but get lost in the woods while trying to compose a joint statement.

Karen Idelson When Studio Ghibli receives its honorary Palme d’Or May 19 at the Cannes Film Festival, the creative home to Hayao Miyazaki — arguably the most admired and influential living animation director — will make history. This marks the first time an honorary Palme d’Or has been given to a group, which sits well with the helmer.

EXCLUSIVE: Goodfellas has acquired world sales rights for Japanese filmmaker Chie Hayakawa’s Tokyo-set drama Renoir ahead of the project’s presentation in the Investors Circle event at the Cannes Marché du Film on Sunday.

Naman Ramachandran Japanese director Miike Takashi, who is known for slasher film “Ichi the Killer” and stomach-churning “Audition,” has signed with CAA for representation. Miike who is also a film producer and screenwriter, is one of Japan’s most prolific and bold directors, with more than 100 feature film credits, spanning genres, including horror, comedy and action. “Ichi The Killer” and “Audition” enjoy cult followings globally.

NME, Japanese rock band King Gnu have discussed touring abroad for the first time, frontman Daiki Tsuneta’s upcoming collaborations with Daniel Caesar, and much more.NME caught up with the quartet at the Singapore stop of their sold-out Asia tour in April, which also called at Taipei, Shanghai and Seoul and marked the J-rockers’ first-ever tour abroad. King Gnu sold out all seven shows on the tour – a victory lap after the band’s sold-out dome tour in Japan three months prior.King Gnu have been touring behind their eclectic, flamboyant 2023 album ‘The Greatest Unknown’.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Veteran Asian executive Buddy Marini has been appointed GM of Warner Bros. Discovery in Japan.The role covers all operations in Japan including home entertainment, digital & TV licensing, consumer products, anime production, franchise and pay-TV networks, but excluding theatrical and the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo: The Making of Harry Potter business. Marini joins WBD with 25+ years’ experience in leadership across media and technology companies in Japan, China and the U.S.

Korean media conglomerate CJ ENM announced that it will co-produce films and television series with Japanese broadcaster Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) for the next three years.

Met Gala was on Monday, and people are still discussing the famous and fashionable event. The biggest names in entertainment, fashion, and sport gathered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and there were many viral moments.This year’s theme was “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” the dress code “The Garden of Time,” inspired by J.G. Ballard’s 1962 short story under the same name.

Cardi B has responded after she faced criticism for referring to the designer of her Met Gala dress as “Asian” rather than by his name.The moment took place on Monday night (May 6) as the rapper took to the red carpet at the 2024 edition of the Met Gala – held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.While walking the red carpet, the rapper was asked by Emma Chamberlain for Vogue who the creator of the look was. After hesitating for a moment, admitted she forgot his name in the moment and noted: “They’re Asian and everything.”The dress she wore was put together by Chinese designer, Sensen Lii of Windowsen, and the comments made in the interview soon attracted backlash online, with numerous fans accusing her of being racially insensitive.Among those to criticise the ‘Bodak Yellow’ rapper was Vogue‘s former managing director Gilbert Cheah.

Money doesn’t buy you class! And a woman who recently married into a billionaire family just proved that!