Two of France’s fastest-rising young stars, Lyna Khoudri and Rio Vega, will lead the French voice cast of animated feature “In Waves,” an unconditional first love story, and tale of loss and memories adapting American illustrator Aj Dungo’s same-titled multi-prized graphic novel.
An anticipated banner prestige animation title from Paris-based Silex Films, “In Waves” lead producer, the feature also marks the first animated co-production of both Anonymous Content and Charades, behind sales of Jeremy Clapin’s “I Lost My Body” and Mamoru Hosoda’s “Mirai,” both Oscar nominated titles.
In Waves is directed by Phuong Mai Nguyen, a former student of French animation schools Gobelins and La Poudrière who helmed episodes of the Silex-produced animated series “Brazen” and was Oscar-shortlisted for her short “My Home,” “In Waves” has just been announced as one of five titles at the Annecy Animation Showcase, part of Cannes’ Animation Day on May...
An anticipated banner prestige animation title from Paris-based Silex Films, “In Waves” lead producer, the feature also marks the first animated co-production of both Anonymous Content and Charades, behind sales of Jeremy Clapin’s “I Lost My Body” and Mamoru Hosoda’s “Mirai,” both Oscar nominated titles.
In Waves is directed by Phuong Mai Nguyen, a former student of French animation schools Gobelins and La Poudrière who helmed episodes of the Silex-produced animated series “Brazen” and was Oscar-shortlisted for her short “My Home,” “In Waves” has just been announced as one of five titles at the Annecy Animation Showcase, part of Cannes’ Animation Day on May...
- 4/23/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
You read that right, Mamoru Hosoda’s Summer Wars anime film turns 15 years old this year. To celebrate, Studio Chizu will be holding a multi-installment 15th-anniversary project for the flick, starting with a film concert in June. A new visual by Oz avatar designer Takashi Okazaki was released to go along with the announcement. The Summer Wars film concert also got its own visual released, which is an updated version of the visual used for the 10th-anniversary concert in 2020 that was canceled due to Covid-19. Akihiko Matsumoto, who composed the music for Summer Wars , will be in attendance at the event alongside Kazuki Wada conducting the New Japan Philharmonic. The Summer Wars film will be played in full alongside a full orchestral rendition of the soundtrack. The first event will be held at the Tokyo International Forum with tickets on sale now through lottery. Those who purchase an “S” class...
- 4/3/2024
- by Daryl Harding
- Crunchyroll
Gkids has announced the acquisition of North American rights to Mamoru Hosoda’s entire film catalog.
Hosoda’s films include “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time,” “Wolf Children,” “Mirai” and “Belle.”
Gkids’ President David Jesteadt said, “One of Gkids’ earliest distribution projects was the theatrical release of ‘Summer Wars,’ when Mamoru Hosoda had already cemented his position as one of the most exciting animation directors. We were honored to deepen our relationship with the release of his two latest films, ‘Mirai’ and ‘Belle,’ and are excited to now be able to showcase the full breadth of Hosoda’s ambitious storytelling across his film catalog, featuring some of the most acclaimed and successful Japanese animated films of all time.”
Hosoda’s six features have all been nominated for, and five have been awarded, the Japan Academy Prize for “Animation of the Year.” He also landed an Oscar nomination for 2018’s “Mirai...
Hosoda’s films include “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time,” “Wolf Children,” “Mirai” and “Belle.”
Gkids’ President David Jesteadt said, “One of Gkids’ earliest distribution projects was the theatrical release of ‘Summer Wars,’ when Mamoru Hosoda had already cemented his position as one of the most exciting animation directors. We were honored to deepen our relationship with the release of his two latest films, ‘Mirai’ and ‘Belle,’ and are excited to now be able to showcase the full breadth of Hosoda’s ambitious storytelling across his film catalog, featuring some of the most acclaimed and successful Japanese animated films of all time.”
Hosoda’s six features have all been nominated for, and five have been awarded, the Japan Academy Prize for “Animation of the Year.” He also landed an Oscar nomination for 2018’s “Mirai...
- 3/18/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
An anime film was bound to make it into the Oscar nominations this year, and the contender this time around is Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron . Ghibli's latest film was nominated in the Animated Feature Film Category, where it will compete with Elemental , Nimona , Robot Dreams and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse . Other nominations include Godzilla Minus One , which is up for the Visual Effects category , and Japanese/German co-production Perfect Days —directed by Wim Wenders and written by Wim Wenders and Takuma Takasaki—which is up for Best International Feature Film . We'll find out who wins when the 96th annual Academy Awards ceremony airs live on Sunday, March 10, 2024 at 4:00pm Pacific Time. Related: The Boy and the Heron Awarded Golden Globe for Best Animated Film Miyazaki previously won an Academy Award in 2002 for Spirited Away , making anime history. His Howl's Moving Castle film was nominated in...
- 1/23/2024
- by Joseph Luster
- Crunchyroll
Charades has taken on worldwide sales rights outside of Japan for anime master Mamoru Hosoda’s library.
Charades has taken on worldwide sales rights outside of Japan for anime master Mamoru Hosoda’s library and has partnered with acclaimed animation house Studio Chizu to expand the brand across borders.
Hosada’s full library will now be consolidated under the Charades banner after the two powerhouse companies previously joined forces for sales on the filmmaker’s Oscar-nominated 2018 coming-of-age anime Mirai and 2021 metaverse fairytale Belle that premiered in Cannes and was a box office hit in Japan, the US and other global territories.
Charades has taken on worldwide sales rights outside of Japan for anime master Mamoru Hosoda’s library and has partnered with acclaimed animation house Studio Chizu to expand the brand across borders.
Hosada’s full library will now be consolidated under the Charades banner after the two powerhouse companies previously joined forces for sales on the filmmaker’s Oscar-nominated 2018 coming-of-age anime Mirai and 2021 metaverse fairytale Belle that premiered in Cannes and was a box office hit in Japan, the US and other global territories.
- 1/16/2024
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: There’s been much celebratory talk here at the Tokyo Film Festival about a new dawn of internationally-minded Japanese artists led by directors such as Hirokazu Kore-eda, Makoto Shinkai, and Ryusuke Hamaguchi.
One of the key creative voices often mentioned amongst this new Japanese set is Genki Kawamura, known internationally by audiences as the writer of If Cats Disappeared from the World, one of Japanese literature’s most successful contemporary novels, and the filmmaker who brought that book and titles such as Suzume, Weathering with You, and, most recently, Kore-eda’s Cannes prize-winning Monster to the big screen.
Born in Yokohama in 1979, Kawamura began his career at entertainment juggernaut Toho, where he was identified early as a promising talent. He cut his teeth on pics like Tetsuya Nakashima’s 2010 feature Confessions, which was shortlisted for the Best International Feature Oscar, and Mamoru Hosoda’s The Boy and the Beast.
One of the key creative voices often mentioned amongst this new Japanese set is Genki Kawamura, known internationally by audiences as the writer of If Cats Disappeared from the World, one of Japanese literature’s most successful contemporary novels, and the filmmaker who brought that book and titles such as Suzume, Weathering with You, and, most recently, Kore-eda’s Cannes prize-winning Monster to the big screen.
Born in Yokohama in 1979, Kawamura began his career at entertainment juggernaut Toho, where he was identified early as a promising talent. He cut his teeth on pics like Tetsuya Nakashima’s 2010 feature Confessions, which was shortlisted for the Best International Feature Oscar, and Mamoru Hosoda’s The Boy and the Beast.
- 10/26/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Hayao Miyazaki just won't stop. The animation maestro has retired then unretired so many times it is just silly now, with his latest movie "The Boy and the Heron" being released in Japan with no trailers and being billed as his last goodbye — until it was revealed he was already throwing around ideas for his next project. "He's thinking about this next project every day, and I can't stop him -- in fact, I've given up," studio co-founder and long-time producer Toshio Suzuki recently said in an interview with French outlet Liberation.
But while the idea of more Miyazaki is exciting, what's somewhat troubling is the future Studio Ghibli is headed toward. After all, this is the greatest animation studio in the world, responsible for all-time classics like "Kiki's Delivery Service" (which ended up on our list of 100 best movies ever) and "Princess Kaguya," and which gifted us Totoro and tanuki testicle transformations.
But while the idea of more Miyazaki is exciting, what's somewhat troubling is the future Studio Ghibli is headed toward. After all, this is the greatest animation studio in the world, responsible for all-time classics like "Kiki's Delivery Service" (which ended up on our list of 100 best movies ever) and "Princess Kaguya," and which gifted us Totoro and tanuki testicle transformations.
- 10/10/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Asian buyers are ultra-cautious as theatrical markets are still in recovery following the pandemic, but bright spots include animation and re-releases of classic titles, said a group of leading European sales agents at the Cannes Marche’s Spotlight Asia panel today.
Sellers including Charades, Kinology, Films Boutique and StudioCanal said Asian buyers are finally back in person at markets, following three years of pandemic travel restrictions, but there is very little pre-buying activity as buyers in most Asian markets now won’t make a decision before seeing completed films.
Stronger territories include Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, but South Korea is taking longer to come back. “Korea was traditionally a strong market for arthouse, but is now very difficult for us,” said Films Boutique’s Valeska Neu. “From time to time you see something break through, but Korea’s arthouse market is now very concentrated on high profile cast and big names.
Sellers including Charades, Kinology, Films Boutique and StudioCanal said Asian buyers are finally back in person at markets, following three years of pandemic travel restrictions, but there is very little pre-buying activity as buyers in most Asian markets now won’t make a decision before seeing completed films.
Stronger territories include Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, but South Korea is taking longer to come back. “Korea was traditionally a strong market for arthouse, but is now very difficult for us,” said Films Boutique’s Valeska Neu. “From time to time you see something break through, but Korea’s arthouse market is now very concentrated on high profile cast and big names.
- 5/20/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Paris-based sales and production company Charades and London-based production and financing studio Anton are partnering on the worldwide sales of Oscar-winning Australian director Adam Elliot’s upcoming stop-motion drama Memoir Of A Snail.
The poignant tale of a young lonely misfit is the second feature after the award-winning 2019 animation Mary And Max for Elliot, who won an Oscar for the 2004 short Harvey Krumpet.
The partners have unveiled a first image as well as some first members of international voice cast featuring Jacki Weaver (Yellowstone), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Elvis), Dominique Pinon, Magda Szubanski, and Eric Bana (The Dry).
The lead cast has yet to be announced.
The animated feature is produced by Arenamedia, with Liz Kearney (Paper Planes) as producer, and Robert Connolly (The Dry) and Robert Patterson as Executive Producers.
The film is currently shooting in Melbourne, Australia, with an expected release date...
The poignant tale of a young lonely misfit is the second feature after the award-winning 2019 animation Mary And Max for Elliot, who won an Oscar for the 2004 short Harvey Krumpet.
The partners have unveiled a first image as well as some first members of international voice cast featuring Jacki Weaver (Yellowstone), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Elvis), Dominique Pinon, Magda Szubanski, and Eric Bana (The Dry).
The lead cast has yet to be announced.
The animated feature is produced by Arenamedia, with Liz Kearney (Paper Planes) as producer, and Robert Connolly (The Dry) and Robert Patterson as Executive Producers.
The film is currently shooting in Melbourne, Australia, with an expected release date...
- 5/4/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Anonymous Content has come on board California surf-themed animated feature adapted from illustrator Aj Dungo’s celebrated graphic memoir, “In Waves.”
Produced by Paris-based Silex Films, “In Waves” marks the feature debut of Phuong Mai Nguyen (“Brazen”), and is being penned by Fanny Burdino and Samuel Doux, whose screenwriting credits include “After Love” and “The Origin of Evil.”
The feature is produced by Priscilla Bertin and Judith Nora, co-Founders of Silex Films, alongside Charades and Nick Shumaker, Garrett Kemble, and David Levine who will executive produce on behalf of Anonymous Content.
“We fell in love immediately with ‘In Waves’ on first read,” said Nick Shumaker on behalf of Anonymous Content. “Its themes of first love, loss, and memory will speak to worldwide audiences across age ranges and demographics, and is a needed anecdote to help inject positive emotion back into our everyday,” Shumaker continued. He pointed out the projects marks...
Produced by Paris-based Silex Films, “In Waves” marks the feature debut of Phuong Mai Nguyen (“Brazen”), and is being penned by Fanny Burdino and Samuel Doux, whose screenwriting credits include “After Love” and “The Origin of Evil.”
The feature is produced by Priscilla Bertin and Judith Nora, co-Founders of Silex Films, alongside Charades and Nick Shumaker, Garrett Kemble, and David Levine who will executive produce on behalf of Anonymous Content.
“We fell in love immediately with ‘In Waves’ on first read,” said Nick Shumaker on behalf of Anonymous Content. “Its themes of first love, loss, and memory will speak to worldwide audiences across age ranges and demographics, and is a needed anecdote to help inject positive emotion back into our everyday,” Shumaker continued. He pointed out the projects marks...
- 5/4/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar-winning French director Luc Jacquet (“March of the Penguins”) will be honored by the Locarno Film Festival with its Locarno Kids Award celebrating a film personality who has brought the magic of movies to younger audiences.
“Luc Jacquet’s gaze has followed the perspective of the plant and animal kingdoms through his many voyages to the Antarctic or into forests both remote and close to home,” the Swiss festival dedicated to indie cinema said in a statement. It pointed out that this year’s prize “goes to a filmmaker who has consistently conveyed a powerful ecological message to younger generations of cinema lovers.”
The French biologist and filmmaker has made hugely popular nature documentaries such as “Penguins,” watched by more than 25 million people worldwide since its 2006 release, and “Once Upon a Forest” in 2013 and “Ice and the Sky” (2015). He also helmed a fiction feature “The Fox & the Child” (2007).
Jacquet...
“Luc Jacquet’s gaze has followed the perspective of the plant and animal kingdoms through his many voyages to the Antarctic or into forests both remote and close to home,” the Swiss festival dedicated to indie cinema said in a statement. It pointed out that this year’s prize “goes to a filmmaker who has consistently conveyed a powerful ecological message to younger generations of cinema lovers.”
The French biologist and filmmaker has made hugely popular nature documentaries such as “Penguins,” watched by more than 25 million people worldwide since its 2006 release, and “Once Upon a Forest” in 2013 and “Ice and the Sky” (2015). He also helmed a fiction feature “The Fox & the Child” (2007).
Jacquet...
- 4/18/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Luc Jacquet, the Oscar-winning French director of March of the Penguins, will be honored with the 2023 Locarno Kids Award, an honor celebrating a film personality who has brought cinema to younger audiences, giving them “a sense of discovery about the big screen.”
Jacquet will receive his award in Locarno on Aug. 7, ahead of an open-air screening of March of the Penguins on Locarno’s legendary Piazza Grande. Jacquet will also take part in a panel discussion on Aug. 8. Locarno will screen a selection of Jacquet’s other films, which include documentaries Once Upon a Forest, 2015’s Ice and the Sky and Penguins sequel Penguins 2: The Next Step (2017), as well as the 2007 feature The Fox & the Child.
“Luc Jacquet is a director who has masterfully woven together the magical charm of observation and the pure poetry of storytelling, taking our gaze to dimensions of the planet never before explored,...
Jacquet will receive his award in Locarno on Aug. 7, ahead of an open-air screening of March of the Penguins on Locarno’s legendary Piazza Grande. Jacquet will also take part in a panel discussion on Aug. 8. Locarno will screen a selection of Jacquet’s other films, which include documentaries Once Upon a Forest, 2015’s Ice and the Sky and Penguins sequel Penguins 2: The Next Step (2017), as well as the 2007 feature The Fox & the Child.
“Luc Jacquet is a director who has masterfully woven together the magical charm of observation and the pure poetry of storytelling, taking our gaze to dimensions of the planet never before explored,...
- 4/18/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cartoon Movie, the European animation sector’s flagship co-production and pitch forum, closed out its 25th edition besting pre-pandemic attendance numbers, welcoming just below 900 industry participant and noting a 40% increase in buyers. Overall, 58 feature projects were presented (and 16 countries encompassed), and — in a testament to France’s robust animation ecosystem — Gallic outfits had a hand in nearly half of them. The forum also reflected the enduring strength of the family market, with 59% of all projects aimed at that demographic.
Here are four takeaways from this year’s session, which ran from March 7 – 9 in Bordeaux.
A Marquee Event
No film drew greater buzz than “Julián” (pictured above). Led by Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon and listing Sun Creature (Denmark), Folivari (France), Aircraft Pictures (Canada) and Wychwood Media (U.K.) as co-producers, the family title benefits from the accrued pedigree of titles like “Flee,” “The Breadwinner” and “Ernest and Celestine.” Throw in Wychwood...
Here are four takeaways from this year’s session, which ran from March 7 – 9 in Bordeaux.
A Marquee Event
No film drew greater buzz than “Julián” (pictured above). Led by Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon and listing Sun Creature (Denmark), Folivari (France), Aircraft Pictures (Canada) and Wychwood Media (U.K.) as co-producers, the family title benefits from the accrued pedigree of titles like “Flee,” “The Breadwinner” and “Ernest and Celestine.” Throw in Wychwood...
- 3/14/2023
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
After scoring a Tko with audiences for his directorial debut on Creed III, Michael B. Jordan could get back into the ring to develop a Creed-Verse with Amazon. According to Deadline, Jordan is dancing around a universe-spanning deal for Creed-related film and television projects. While there have been multiple meetings and attempts to build a Rocky universe, the latest dealings could yield hard-hitting results for the franchise’s future. The seriousness of the deal is the result of Creed III‘s success, which has earned $110M+ worldwide at the time of this posting.
Details about the deal remain shrouded in mystery, though Deadline says an anime series connected to the Rocky IP is possible in addition to a live-action spinoff series. The idea of building a project around Adonis Creed’s daughter, Amara, is also being discussed. The anime project sounds likely, as Jordan is an out-and-proud anime fan.
Details about the deal remain shrouded in mystery, though Deadline says an anime series connected to the Rocky IP is possible in addition to a live-action spinoff series. The idea of building a project around Adonis Creed’s daughter, Amara, is also being discussed. The anime project sounds likely, as Jordan is an out-and-proud anime fan.
- 3/9/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
I want to use this blurb to acknowledge a couple of films I’m yet to see that I feel, through a combination of my own personal taste and their critical reception, maybe would’ve made the cut had I seen them this year. The first of which is idiosyncratic anime Director Masaaki Yuasa’s Inu-Oh, a rock opera set amongst 14th century Japanese performers. I’ve been a fan of Yuasa’s bombastic and enveloping style ever since I watched The Tatami Galaxy a few years ago and am dying to see the latest in his ever-growing oeuvre of impressive works. The second film is Kogonada’s After Yang. Anyone who knows me on a personal level will know how much I loved his debut Columbus and to see the filmmaker follow up that up with a quiet, reflective sci-fi sounds too good to miss. That all being said,...
- 12/28/2022
- by James Maitre
- Directors Notes
Jx’23, an event to celebrate Japanese innovators and leaders in the entertainment industry, is being held in Los Angeles at the Grammy Museum on February 9, 2023.
The event, spanning the industries of music, animation, fashion, entertainment and Web3, is co-hosted by the LA Next Generation Japanese American Leaders Initiative and the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles.
Speakers will include executives from animation master Mamoru Hosoda’s Studio Chizu, Amuse Group USA, music company Asobisystem and the Japanese arm of Hong Kong-based blockchain gaming giant Animoca Brands.
Studio Chizu is the production company behind Hosoda’s acclaimed animated movies, most recently including Belle (2021), which premiered in Cannes official selection and Mirai (2018), which premiered in Cannes Directors Fortnight and was later nominated for the Academy Awards and Golden Globes.
There will be a big focus on metaverse and Web3, an area where Japan is an innovator, with Japanese content using the...
The event, spanning the industries of music, animation, fashion, entertainment and Web3, is co-hosted by the LA Next Generation Japanese American Leaders Initiative and the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles.
Speakers will include executives from animation master Mamoru Hosoda’s Studio Chizu, Amuse Group USA, music company Asobisystem and the Japanese arm of Hong Kong-based blockchain gaming giant Animoca Brands.
Studio Chizu is the production company behind Hosoda’s acclaimed animated movies, most recently including Belle (2021), which premiered in Cannes official selection and Mirai (2018), which premiered in Cannes Directors Fortnight and was later nominated for the Academy Awards and Golden Globes.
There will be a big focus on metaverse and Web3, an area where Japan is an innovator, with Japanese content using the...
- 12/21/2022
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
In the early days of the Academy’s animated feature Oscar, there were questions as to whether enough films would qualify each year for the award to be given. Not anymore! This year sees a record number of contenders across a wide variety of genres, styles and audiences, from serious, adult-targeted films (like “Charlotte” and “Eternal Spring”) to boffo offerings from Hollywood’s top toon studios — and that doesn’t even count such anime franchise sensations as “One Piece Film: Red” and “Jujutsu Kaisen 0,” which didn’t submit but further illustrate the vitality of the form.
Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood
Director: Richard Linklater
Voices: Glen Powell, Zachary Levi, Jack Black
Studios: Minnow Mountain, Submarine, Detour Filmproduction
Distributor: Netflix
A time capsule made possible through a sophisticated blend of 2D, 3D and rotoscope techniques, allows the “Boyhood” director to revive the style of “Waking Life” and his own 1960s Texas boyhood.
Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood
Director: Richard Linklater
Voices: Glen Powell, Zachary Levi, Jack Black
Studios: Minnow Mountain, Submarine, Detour Filmproduction
Distributor: Netflix
A time capsule made possible through a sophisticated blend of 2D, 3D and rotoscope techniques, allows the “Boyhood” director to revive the style of “Waking Life” and his own 1960s Texas boyhood.
- 12/6/2022
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Just how far can Luffy stretch? That’s a question “One Piece” fans have been asking for years of the Gum-Gum hero with the go-go-gadget arms. Sure, there are limits to Luffy’s flexibility, but if you look at the pirate adventure series to which he belongs — one that’s been serialized for 25 years running, generating more than 100 books, 1,000-plus anime episodes and 15 theatrical features — it would seem that “One Piece” creator Eiichiro Oda can stretch the entire franchise pretty much as far as he pleases.
Case in point: The series’ latest entry, “One Piece Film: Red,” expands into musical territory, focusing on a pop star named Uta who has been made powerful by the Sing-Sing Fruit. “One Piece” characters gain special abilities after consuming Devil Fruit (Gum-Gum is Luffy’s), and Sing-Sing skills allow this chic chanteuse with two-tone hair and a worldwide fan base to whisk listeners...
Case in point: The series’ latest entry, “One Piece Film: Red,” expands into musical territory, focusing on a pop star named Uta who has been made powerful by the Sing-Sing Fruit. “One Piece” characters gain special abilities after consuming Devil Fruit (Gum-Gum is Luffy’s), and Sing-Sing skills allow this chic chanteuse with two-tone hair and a worldwide fan base to whisk listeners...
- 11/4/2022
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
When a series gets to the point where its episode count has surpassed one thousand installments, its supplemental feature films number almost twenty, and its (still ongoing) source material has been compiled in over one hundred volumes, the casual observers have been weeded out and what’s left of your audience is the true diehard fans.
For an anime show like “One Piece,” the densely populated pirate saga that’s been broadcasting since 1999, it’s pretty much impossible to simply tune in every once in a while and attempt to follow references to arcs and characters from years prior. The series’ newest film installment, “One Piece Film: Red,” has a similar effect, but is enough of a standalone interlude that someone who hasn’t kept up with the show for many years (i.e. this critic) can still find something to enjoy.
Director Gorō Taniguchi’s film begins, helpfully, with...
For an anime show like “One Piece,” the densely populated pirate saga that’s been broadcasting since 1999, it’s pretty much impossible to simply tune in every once in a while and attempt to follow references to arcs and characters from years prior. The series’ newest film installment, “One Piece Film: Red,” has a similar effect, but is enough of a standalone interlude that someone who hasn’t kept up with the show for many years (i.e. this critic) can still find something to enjoy.
Director Gorō Taniguchi’s film begins, helpfully, with...
- 11/2/2022
- by Emma Stefansky
- Indiewire
The combination of animation with themes of isolation in the hyper-digital age is proving to be a bountiful match. Anime titans Mamoru Hosoda and Masaaki Yuasa have conveyed this through their dense visual tapestries that have confronted our relationship with online space from both optimistic and pessimistic viewpoints. The flexibility of the animated form allows artists to truly capture the sense of disassociation felt through the limited window of online self-expression. This battle with identity is at the forefront of Richan Li’s animated short Babble Bubble, which sees a young girl detach her head and replace it with whichever animal-based persona her online profile requires. It’s a really fun, playful film that’s also enlightening on the discombobulating nature of social media performativity. Dn is delighted to present Babble Bubble on our pages today and be joined by Li for a conversation which covers everything from the medieval...
- 10/27/2022
- by James Maitre
- Directors Notes
Like a department store that pulls out its winter holiday items weeks before All Hallows' Eve, Netflix isn't going to let a little thing like the calendar stop it from bombarding its subscribers with Christmas movies in November. That's not to say the streamer's exclusive yuletide rom-coms are all bad — quite the opposite, in fact (consider this your friendly reminder to finally watch "Single All the Way" this year).
Fortunately, if films like "Falling for Christmas" (aka the long-awaited Lindsay Lohan Netflix Christmas movie) aren't your bag, there are plenty of other options on the service to choose from that month. Perhaps you'd be more inclined to watch "Slumberland," Francis Lawrence's fantasy film adaptation of Winsor McCay's classic "Little Nemo in Slumberland" comic strips starring Jason Momoa as a shaggy-furred half-man, half-animal with mountain goat horns and an impeccably flamboyant fashion sense? You could also go for the...
Fortunately, if films like "Falling for Christmas" (aka the long-awaited Lindsay Lohan Netflix Christmas movie) aren't your bag, there are plenty of other options on the service to choose from that month. Perhaps you'd be more inclined to watch "Slumberland," Francis Lawrence's fantasy film adaptation of Winsor McCay's classic "Little Nemo in Slumberland" comic strips starring Jason Momoa as a shaggy-furred half-man, half-animal with mountain goat horns and an impeccably flamboyant fashion sense? You could also go for the...
- 10/20/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
This has been an outstanding year for animation. From Mamoru Hosoda's "Belle" and the brilliant creativity of "Turning Red" to the sea-faring, sea chanty-singing adventure of "The Sea Beast," the stop-motion insanity of "Mad God," and the upcoming stop-motion marvel of Henry Selick's "Wendell & Wild" and Guillermo del Toro's haunting fairy tale "Pinocchio." The 2022 animation year has shown how versatile the medium is, allowing filmmakers to break molds and tell all kinds of stories meant for very different audiences in animation.
Now, one of the oldest and biggest animation studios out there, Walt Disney Animation Studios, is about to enter the race with a movie that promises to be a wildly different ride than the studio's formulaic fare. In their 61st film, Disney is channeling pulp sci-fi stories with "Strange World," a film that feels like a throwback to that brief period in time when they...
Now, one of the oldest and biggest animation studios out there, Walt Disney Animation Studios, is about to enter the race with a movie that promises to be a wildly different ride than the studio's formulaic fare. In their 61st film, Disney is channeling pulp sci-fi stories with "Strange World," a film that feels like a throwback to that brief period in time when they...
- 10/19/2022
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
If you count yourself among those who walked away disappointed by the brief screen-time Manny Jacinto got in "Top Gun: Maverick," you might be happy to know the actor just booked himself a shiny new role on a live-action "Star Wars" TV series. Bortles!
Deadline is reporting Jacinto has joined the cast of "The Acolyte," a show that takes place near the end of the High Republic era. His co-stars on the series will include "Squid Game" star turned Emmy winner Lee Jung-jae and Amandla Stenberg ("Bodies Bodies Bodies") as leads, with Jodi Smith-Turner ("Queen & Slim") also reported to be playing a key role. Behind the camera, "Russian Doll" co-creator Leslye Headland is serving as the head writer and executive producer on the show.
Give Jason Mendoza A Lightsaber, Please
Jacinto, of course, is best known for starring in Michael Schur's critically-acclaimed fantasy comedy series "The Good Place" as Jason Mendoza,...
Deadline is reporting Jacinto has joined the cast of "The Acolyte," a show that takes place near the end of the High Republic era. His co-stars on the series will include "Squid Game" star turned Emmy winner Lee Jung-jae and Amandla Stenberg ("Bodies Bodies Bodies") as leads, with Jodi Smith-Turner ("Queen & Slim") also reported to be playing a key role. Behind the camera, "Russian Doll" co-creator Leslye Headland is serving as the head writer and executive producer on the show.
Give Jason Mendoza A Lightsaber, Please
Jacinto, of course, is best known for starring in Michael Schur's critically-acclaimed fantasy comedy series "The Good Place" as Jason Mendoza,...
- 9/15/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Video Version of this Article Photo: Mamoru Hosoda/Studio Chizu An Introduction to Mamoru Hosoda In the somewhat narrow world of mainstream anime, a few names stand out: Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Makoto Shinkai. A fourth name that comes to my mind, belonging to arguably the most consistently great anime director of the past decade or so, would be Mamoru Hosoda. Hosoda, like Shinkai, got his start at the turn of the millennium — but unlike Shinkai, whose films often feel perennial and yet youthful, Hosoda’s films feel distinctly modern; they express concerns about relationships between parents and their children, between siblings, and between all these people and modern life. Whether it be science fiction or fantasy, a Hosoda film seemingly always takes place in the “now” or just a few years from today — next Sunday A.D., as is said regularly in ‘Mystery Science Theater 3000.’ The tendency toward...
- 9/7/2022
- by Brian Collins
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
Crunchyroll continues to expand its cinematic collection with hot new titles arriving this September for the first time on the anime streaming service, including the blockbuster hit Jujutsu Kaisen 0, the prequel movie to the critically acclaimed anime series Jujutsu Kaisen, as well as one new movie each Thursday.
The film from Toho Animation, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, is based on Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (Jump Comics / Shueisha), the prequel manga to the popular series written and illustrated by Gege Akutami. The film was distributed by Crunchyroll in the US and select international markets, receiving over 34M at the North American box office, with a total 166M worldwide.
Classic titles such as Mamoru Hosoda’s critically acclaimed The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Fuminori Kizaki’s Afro Samurai: Resurrection starring Samuel L. Jackson, Masahiro Andō’s Sword of the Stranger, and Naoyoshi Shiotani’s Psycho-Pass Sinners of the System film trilogy...
The film from Toho Animation, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, is based on Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (Jump Comics / Shueisha), the prequel manga to the popular series written and illustrated by Gege Akutami. The film was distributed by Crunchyroll in the US and select international markets, receiving over 34M at the North American box office, with a total 166M worldwide.
Classic titles such as Mamoru Hosoda’s critically acclaimed The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Fuminori Kizaki’s Afro Samurai: Resurrection starring Samuel L. Jackson, Masahiro Andō’s Sword of the Stranger, and Naoyoshi Shiotani’s Psycho-Pass Sinners of the System film trilogy...
- 9/3/2022
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
In the career of Nobuhiko Obayashi, his works from the 1980s are certainly some of the most interesting features the director made. Although some of these movies have become somewhat obscure and hard to find for film fans wanting to discover more from Obayashi besides arguably his most popular work today, his 1977 feature “House”. One of the director’s favorite works was “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time”, an adaptation of the novel of the same title by Yasutaka Tsutsui, which also served as the foundation to the 2006 anime directed by Mamoru Hosoda. In his approach to the source material, Obayashi and screenwriter Wataru Kenmotsu highlight the idea of the story being about growth as well as the various irritations when becoming an adult.
Buy This Title
on Terracotta
Kazuko Yoshiyama (Tomoyo Harada) is a high-school student living in the city of Onomichi. One day, as she is tasked with cleaning the chemistry lab,...
Buy This Title
on Terracotta
Kazuko Yoshiyama (Tomoyo Harada) is a high-school student living in the city of Onomichi. One day, as she is tasked with cleaning the chemistry lab,...
- 8/22/2022
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
What if there was a device that allowed the user to enter other people's dreams? What if one of the devices was stolen by someone who could implant ideas in people's minds to control them? What kind of story could come out of this concept?
If your first thought is Christopher Nolan's "Inception," then congratulations, you played yourself. That film became the rare example of a movie that becomes a shorthand term for its premise — entering people's dreams. Still, it pales in comparison to the film it so blatantly rips off, Satoshi Kon's "Paprika," an anime movie adapted from Yasutaka Tsutsui's 1993 novel of the same name.
That novel was almost adapted to live-action over a decade ago by the late, great Wolfgang Petersen, but now Deadline reports that Tsutsui's "Paprika" is getting a second chance at becoming a live-action project, on the small screen. Cathy Yan has...
If your first thought is Christopher Nolan's "Inception," then congratulations, you played yourself. That film became the rare example of a movie that becomes a shorthand term for its premise — entering people's dreams. Still, it pales in comparison to the film it so blatantly rips off, Satoshi Kon's "Paprika," an anime movie adapted from Yasutaka Tsutsui's 1993 novel of the same name.
That novel was almost adapted to live-action over a decade ago by the late, great Wolfgang Petersen, but now Deadline reports that Tsutsui's "Paprika" is getting a second chance at becoming a live-action project, on the small screen. Cathy Yan has...
- 8/22/2022
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
"Beauty and the Beast" truly is a tale as old as time, and has been retold in countless ways, like the Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton TV series of the same name, the Fran Drescher comedy "The Beautician and the Beast," the teen rom-drama "Beastly," or even in an episode of "Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater." Recently, legendary Japanese filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda delivered "Belle," a magnificent animated sci-fi fantasy film that thrusts the tale out of the world of old and into the techno future.
The story takes place in the not-so-distant future where the internet has evolved into a legitimate virtual reality called U, where avatars are created by users' scanned biometric information. A teenager named Suzu creates an avatar named Belle who becomes a pop superstar, but everything changes when her virtual concert is interrupted by the seemingly undefeatable fighter The Dragon (or "The Beast"), who she quickly becomes infatuated with.
The story takes place in the not-so-distant future where the internet has evolved into a legitimate virtual reality called U, where avatars are created by users' scanned biometric information. A teenager named Suzu creates an avatar named Belle who becomes a pop superstar, but everything changes when her virtual concert is interrupted by the seemingly undefeatable fighter The Dragon (or "The Beast"), who she quickly becomes infatuated with.
- 8/12/2022
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Celebrating all things anime with attendees at the Sixth Annual Crunchyroll Expo this weekend in San Jose, CA, Crunchyroll, the global leader in bringing the ultimate anime experience to audiences around the world, shared many exciting announcements during its Industry Panel today, which included announcements of new show acquisitions, exclusive first looks, fan favorite movies coming to the streaming service, and more.
Announcements kicked off with a thrilling update that Crunchyroll will be rolling out the red carpet to welcome some of the most beloved anime in cinema history to its platform, including the sci-fi cult classic Akira directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, the fantastical modern romance your name. from director Makoto Shinkai (Suzume no Tojimari; Weathering With You), as well as director Mamoru Hosoda’s critically acclaimed catalog The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Wolf Children, and The Boy and the Beast. Fans will start to see new movies launching on Crunchyroll every Thursday,...
Announcements kicked off with a thrilling update that Crunchyroll will be rolling out the red carpet to welcome some of the most beloved anime in cinema history to its platform, including the sci-fi cult classic Akira directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, the fantastical modern romance your name. from director Makoto Shinkai (Suzume no Tojimari; Weathering With You), as well as director Mamoru Hosoda’s critically acclaimed catalog The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Wolf Children, and The Boy and the Beast. Fans will start to see new movies launching on Crunchyroll every Thursday,...
- 8/7/2022
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
August is here, which means summer is winding down and the options at your local multiplex are starting to become a bit slimmer. Not to worry, though, because a bevy of new titles are streaming this month, offering a ton of new movies — both newly streaming films and genuine new releases — to enjoy from the comfort of your own home. Below, we’ve rounded up a list of some of the best new movies to stream in August, which runs the gamut from a new “Predator” prequel to a vampire action comedy to a pair of brand new animated films.
Belle Studio Chizu
August 1, HBO Max
One of last year’s very best animated features, “Belle” hails from Japanese filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda. A 21st century take on “Beauty and the Beast,” “Belle” concerns a young girl who refashions herself as a pop princess in a virtual space known as the U.
Belle Studio Chizu
August 1, HBO Max
One of last year’s very best animated features, “Belle” hails from Japanese filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda. A 21st century take on “Beauty and the Beast,” “Belle” concerns a young girl who refashions herself as a pop princess in a virtual space known as the U.
- 8/5/2022
- by Drew Taylor and Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Belle (Mamoru Hosoda)
If a name can trigger nostalgia, don’t be surprised when the occasional sense of deja vu sets in while watching Belle, a dazzling near-future tech fantasia wrapped around a tale, yes, as old as time. Directed by Mamoru Hosoda and mostly set in a vast online world of sweeping musical numbers and weightless action sequences, it tells of Suzu, an awkward teenager (as if there were any other kind) who finds quick fame performing as the pop-singer Belle: her avatar on a hugely popular social media platform called U that looks like a sugary cocktail of Tik Tok and “The Oasis” from Spielberg’s Ready Player One. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: HBO Max
Blue Island...
Belle (Mamoru Hosoda)
If a name can trigger nostalgia, don’t be surprised when the occasional sense of deja vu sets in while watching Belle, a dazzling near-future tech fantasia wrapped around a tale, yes, as old as time. Directed by Mamoru Hosoda and mostly set in a vast online world of sweeping musical numbers and weightless action sequences, it tells of Suzu, an awkward teenager (as if there were any other kind) who finds quick fame performing as the pop-singer Belle: her avatar on a hugely popular social media platform called U that looks like a sugary cocktail of Tik Tok and “The Oasis” from Spielberg’s Ready Player One. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: HBO Max
Blue Island...
- 8/5/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The Film
The new Miyazaki. That’s a description I’ve heard applied to Mamoru Hosoda over and over, and it’s never sat well with me. Notwithstanding that Hosoda has expressed critical feelings about Miyazaki’s depiction of women, or my own apathy about Miyazaki’s films, Hosoda isn’t the new anybody, nor does he need to be. He’s the first Mamoru Hosoda, and across his six solo features, he’s established a strong authorial voice and, for my money, stands out as one of the best and most exciting filmmakers working today, and not just in animation.
Belle, like Hosoda’s previous films, takes a gigantic sci-fi concept and boils it down to a tiny personal story. The setting is contemporary, but the internet seems to be dominated by an app called U, a social network which, through body sharing technology (think a less gross take...
The new Miyazaki. That’s a description I’ve heard applied to Mamoru Hosoda over and over, and it’s never sat well with me. Notwithstanding that Hosoda has expressed critical feelings about Miyazaki’s depiction of women, or my own apathy about Miyazaki’s films, Hosoda isn’t the new anybody, nor does he need to be. He’s the first Mamoru Hosoda, and across his six solo features, he’s established a strong authorial voice and, for my money, stands out as one of the best and most exciting filmmakers working today, and not just in animation.
Belle, like Hosoda’s previous films, takes a gigantic sci-fi concept and boils it down to a tiny personal story. The setting is contemporary, but the internet seems to be dominated by an app called U, a social network which, through body sharing technology (think a less gross take...
- 7/13/2022
- by Sam Inglis
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
To mark the release of Belle on 27th June, we’ve been given a quad poster signed by Mamoru Hosada to give away.
From the celebrated Oscar®-nominated director Mamoru Hosoda and Studio Chizu, creator of Mirai, Wolf Children, Summer Wars, and more, comes a fantastical, yet beautiful and contemporary thematic story of one girl’s growth in the age of social media. Suzu is a 17-year-old high school student living in a rural village with her father. For years, she has only been a shadow of herself. One day, she enters “U,” a virtual world of 5 billion members on the Internet. There, she is not Suzu anymore but Belle, a world-famous singer. She soon meets with a mysterious creature. Together, they embark on a journey of adventures, challenges and love, in their quest to become who they truly are.
Click here to buy Belle now.
Please note: This competition...
From the celebrated Oscar®-nominated director Mamoru Hosoda and Studio Chizu, creator of Mirai, Wolf Children, Summer Wars, and more, comes a fantastical, yet beautiful and contemporary thematic story of one girl’s growth in the age of social media. Suzu is a 17-year-old high school student living in a rural village with her father. For years, she has only been a shadow of herself. One day, she enters “U,” a virtual world of 5 billion members on the Internet. There, she is not Suzu anymore but Belle, a world-famous singer. She soon meets with a mysterious creature. Together, they embark on a journey of adventures, challenges and love, in their quest to become who they truly are.
Click here to buy Belle now.
Please note: This competition...
- 6/24/2022
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Belle, the latest anime sensation from Oscar-nominated director Mamoru Hosoda will be released on DVD, Blu-ray, as well as a special feature-packed 4K Uhd Blu-ray Collector’s Edition that includes the film’s beloved soundtrack on 27th June. To celebrate, we are giving away a Blu-ray!
An original story inspired by the realisation that his own children will grow up in an increasingly online age, Hosoda’s Belle is the story of Suzu, a country girl who becomes a music sensation in the virtual world of “U” with the mesmerising avatar Belle. When her fame attracts the attention of a fearsome yet mysterious user known only as “Dragon”, Suzu will discover where the line between the online and offline self really lies.
Premiering to a historic 14-minute standing ovation at the 74th Cannes Film Festival, Belle released in cinemas across the UK and Ireland in February to critical acclaim, with...
An original story inspired by the realisation that his own children will grow up in an increasingly online age, Hosoda’s Belle is the story of Suzu, a country girl who becomes a music sensation in the virtual world of “U” with the mesmerising avatar Belle. When her fame attracts the attention of a fearsome yet mysterious user known only as “Dragon”, Suzu will discover where the line between the online and offline self really lies.
Premiering to a historic 14-minute standing ovation at the 74th Cannes Film Festival, Belle released in cinemas across the UK and Ireland in February to critical acclaim, with...
- 6/14/2022
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Charades (“I Lost My Body”) has boarded “Chicken for Linda!,” an animated feature directed by Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach (“The Girl Without Hands”) in the run up to this week’s Annecy Animation Festival.
Produced by Dolce Vita Films (“A Son”) and Miyu Productions (“Plethore de Nords”), and coproduced by Italy’s Palosanto, “Chicken for Linda!” will be presented in the work-in-progress section at Annecy.
Comedy-laced, the animated feature follows a loving mom, Paulette, who feels guilty after unfairly punishing her daughter Linda and would do anything to make it up to her. She sets off to make a chicken with peppers, even though she doesn’t know how to cook.
But how will she find a chicken on the day of a general strike? The heartwarming mother-daughter tale also touches on overcoming grief through the plot involving the recent death of the young girl’s father.
“After the...
Produced by Dolce Vita Films (“A Son”) and Miyu Productions (“Plethore de Nords”), and coproduced by Italy’s Palosanto, “Chicken for Linda!” will be presented in the work-in-progress section at Annecy.
Comedy-laced, the animated feature follows a loving mom, Paulette, who feels guilty after unfairly punishing her daughter Linda and would do anything to make it up to her. She sets off to make a chicken with peppers, even though she doesn’t know how to cook.
But how will she find a chicken on the day of a general strike? The heartwarming mother-daughter tale also touches on overcoming grief through the plot involving the recent death of the young girl’s father.
“After the...
- 6/13/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Damian won Annecy’s top Crystal prize in 2012 for Crulic – The Path Beyond.
French distributor Eurozoom has acquired French rights to Romanian director Anca Damian’s The Island ahead of its screening in competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (June13-18).
International sales of the film are handled by Brussels-based Best Friend Forever (Bff).
The Paris-based distributor has a long track record in theatrically releasing animated features in France. Past releases include award-winning Japanese titles Your Name by Makoto Shinkai and The Wolf Children by Mamoru Hosoda as well as Spanish director Salvador Simo’s Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles.
French distributor Eurozoom has acquired French rights to Romanian director Anca Damian’s The Island ahead of its screening in competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (June13-18).
International sales of the film are handled by Brussels-based Best Friend Forever (Bff).
The Paris-based distributor has a long track record in theatrically releasing animated features in France. Past releases include award-winning Japanese titles Your Name by Makoto Shinkai and The Wolf Children by Mamoru Hosoda as well as Spanish director Salvador Simo’s Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles.
- 5/9/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
New Release Wall
“Encanto” succeeded with the notion of “no villain, except generational trauma,” and Disney keeps that idea going with the delightful “Turning Red” (Walt Disney Home Entertainment), a young woman’s coming-of-age story that’s a metaphor for any number of growing-up issues, including that moment when the “model” child begins to chafe at parental domination. It’s charming and adorable, and the boy-band songs by Billie Eilish and Finneas have already made their way into the latter’s stage act.
Also available:
“The Batman” (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) Does a three-hour superhero saga have deleted scenes? You bet your bat-hook, and they’re on the 4K/Blu-ray/DVD release alongside other extras.
“Blacklight” (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment) Liam Neeson in the first of two (to date) 2022 thrillers that suggest that maybe it’s time for him to put down the gun.
“Cyrano” (MGM/Universal) Peter Dinklage gives...
“Encanto” succeeded with the notion of “no villain, except generational trauma,” and Disney keeps that idea going with the delightful “Turning Red” (Walt Disney Home Entertainment), a young woman’s coming-of-age story that’s a metaphor for any number of growing-up issues, including that moment when the “model” child begins to chafe at parental domination. It’s charming and adorable, and the boy-band songs by Billie Eilish and Finneas have already made their way into the latter’s stage act.
Also available:
“The Batman” (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) Does a three-hour superhero saga have deleted scenes? You bet your bat-hook, and they’re on the 4K/Blu-ray/DVD release alongside other extras.
“Blacklight” (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment) Liam Neeson in the first of two (to date) 2022 thrillers that suggest that maybe it’s time for him to put down the gun.
“Cyrano” (MGM/Universal) Peter Dinklage gives...
- 5/6/2022
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Ahed’s Knee (Nadav Lapid)
It’s always interesting, at the beginning of any Nadav Lapid film, to note the myriad Israeli institutions that have backed the project. Since Emile’s Girlfriend (2006), Lapid’s work has sought to make sense of Israeli society—his criticisms a byproduct of attempting to articulate the confusion and warring arguments in his own head. Having won Berlin’s Golden Bear with Synonyms in 2019, Lapid could claim to be the most renowned Israeli filmmaker of his generation. That his work is at risk of falling afoul of that same state speaks volumes about the country’s ever-increasing authoritarianism as a whole. Further confirmation of that renown came with news that his latest would compete for the Palme...
Ahed’s Knee (Nadav Lapid)
It’s always interesting, at the beginning of any Nadav Lapid film, to note the myriad Israeli institutions that have backed the project. Since Emile’s Girlfriend (2006), Lapid’s work has sought to make sense of Israeli society—his criticisms a byproduct of attempting to articulate the confusion and warring arguments in his own head. Having won Berlin’s Golden Bear with Synonyms in 2019, Lapid could claim to be the most renowned Israeli filmmaker of his generation. That his work is at risk of falling afoul of that same state speaks volumes about the country’s ever-increasing authoritarianism as a whole. Further confirmation of that renown came with news that his latest would compete for the Palme...
- 5/6/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Welcome to International Disruptors, a feature where we shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. With the 75th Cannes Film Festival less than two weeks away, we’re speaking with well-respected French sales exec Carole Baraton, co-founder of international sales and production outfit Charades. The company has four titles in selection and Baraton tells us about the company’s ambitions and why she’s looking forward to being back on the Croisette.
It’s been five years since French sales veteran Carole Baraton joined forces with former Gaumont exec Yohann Comte and former Studiocanal exec Pierre Mazars to launch Charades and in that short period of time the trio have managed to carve out a boutique sales and production label that has quickly become synonymous with quality independent fare.
The Paris-based company is a regular fixture on the international...
It’s been five years since French sales veteran Carole Baraton joined forces with former Gaumont exec Yohann Comte and former Studiocanal exec Pierre Mazars to launch Charades and in that short period of time the trio have managed to carve out a boutique sales and production label that has quickly become synonymous with quality independent fare.
The Paris-based company is a regular fixture on the international...
- 5/4/2022
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Japan in Frankfurt! After two online editions, the 22nd Nippon Connection Film Festival, which will be held May 24 to 29, 2022, will bring the most exciting current Japanese films and culture programs to the city again. Around 100 short and feature-length films showcase the complete range of Japanese cinema – from newcomers to established directors, from anime to documentaries. The film program includes one world premiere, 24 international, eleven European and 30 German premieres. This year’s thematic focus “Stories Of Youth – Coming Of Age In Japan”, supported by the Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain, deals with the lives and challenges of young people in Japan.
The supporting program, which will include more than 60 workshops, concerts, lectures and performances, is more extensive than ever, promising a fascinating festival week outside the cinema as well. For snacks in between, there will be a wide range of Japanese foods and drinks available on the festival grounds.
The events take place...
The supporting program, which will include more than 60 workshops, concerts, lectures and performances, is more extensive than ever, promising a fascinating festival week outside the cinema as well. For snacks in between, there will be a wide range of Japanese foods and drinks available on the festival grounds.
The events take place...
- 4/29/2022
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Considering many films premiering at the Locarno Film Festival can take years to get a release here in the United States—should they get any at all—Locarno in Los Angeles has been a welcome addition to the festival scene. Now in its fifth edition, the series (curated by Jordan Cronk and Robert Koehler) highlights the best of Locarno over four days, and kicks off this Thursday at 2220 Arts + Archives. Check out our recommendations for what to seek out this year below.
Belle (Mamoru Hosoda)
If a name can trigger nostalgia, don’t be surprised when the occasional sense of deja vu sets in while watching Belle, a dazzling near-future tech fantasia wrapped around a tale, yes, as old as time. Directed by Mamoru Hosoda and mostly set in a vast online world of sweeping musical numbers and weightless action sequences, it tells of Suzu, an awkward teenager (as if...
Belle (Mamoru Hosoda)
If a name can trigger nostalgia, don’t be surprised when the occasional sense of deja vu sets in while watching Belle, a dazzling near-future tech fantasia wrapped around a tale, yes, as old as time. Directed by Mamoru Hosoda and mostly set in a vast online world of sweeping musical numbers and weightless action sequences, it tells of Suzu, an awkward teenager (as if...
- 3/15/2022
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
The BFI today announce full details of a hotly anticipated two-month season dedicated to Anime, running at BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX from 28 March – 31 May. Originally planned for summer 2020 as part of the BFI’s major survey of Japanese cinema BFI Japan, the season arrives, at long last, to entertain and delight anime fans and novices alike.
The programme will include:
· A broad mixture of classic films such as Akira, Ghost In The Shell, Belladonna Of Sadness, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie and Tekkonkinkreet, as well as an early shorts programme spotlighting work from 1917-1946· Previews of new releases including the thrillingly original Inu-oh, high-octane urban fairy tale Bubble and the powerful and thought-provoking short Summer Ghost (2021) followed by a Q&a with director loundraw· Much-loved recent work by major auteurs Mamoru Hosoda, Makoto Shinkai (Your Name) and the late great Satoshi Kon· A spotlight on emerging female talent Naoko Yamada...
The programme will include:
· A broad mixture of classic films such as Akira, Ghost In The Shell, Belladonna Of Sadness, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie and Tekkonkinkreet, as well as an early shorts programme spotlighting work from 1917-1946· Previews of new releases including the thrillingly original Inu-oh, high-octane urban fairy tale Bubble and the powerful and thought-provoking short Summer Ghost (2021) followed by a Q&a with director loundraw· Much-loved recent work by major auteurs Mamoru Hosoda, Makoto Shinkai (Your Name) and the late great Satoshi Kon· A spotlight on emerging female talent Naoko Yamada...
- 3/15/2022
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Netflix had a big night at the 49th annual Annie Awards on Saturday, with the streamer’s The Mitchells vs. the Machines on the feature film side and the video game adaptation Arcane on the TV side dominating the major categories.
Mitchells, from Sony Pictures Animation, won Best Feature among a film-side-leading eight Annies, presented by Asifa-Hollywood honoring the year’s best in animated fare across movies, TV and video games.
Arcane, the League of Legends game adaptation from Riot Games and Fortiche Production, led all winners with nine trophies overall including for General Production, TV. It won in each of the categories for which it was nominated. The series, which debuted in November and has already been renewed for a Season 2, is set in the utopian region of League of Legends realms Piltover and the oppressed underground of Zaun It follows the origins of popular League champions sisters Jinx...
Mitchells, from Sony Pictures Animation, won Best Feature among a film-side-leading eight Annies, presented by Asifa-Hollywood honoring the year’s best in animated fare across movies, TV and video games.
Arcane, the League of Legends game adaptation from Riot Games and Fortiche Production, led all winners with nine trophies overall including for General Production, TV. It won in each of the categories for which it was nominated. The series, which debuted in November and has already been renewed for a Season 2, is set in the utopian region of League of Legends realms Piltover and the oppressed underground of Zaun It follows the origins of popular League champions sisters Jinx...
- 3/13/2022
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Photo: 'Belle' Director Mamoru Hosoda may be one of the unsung heroes of animation in the past decade and change, especially when it comes to the wide realm of Japanese animation. Since his breakout hit with ‘The Girl Who Leapt Through Time’ in 2006, Hosoda has put out a feature film every three years without fail, all of them of remarkably consistent quality. In 2019, when the Academy Awards announced nominees for Best Animated Feature, Hosoda’s ‘Mirai’ became the first Oscar-nominated anime feature not made by Studio Ghibli. Now with his latest film, ‘Belle’, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021 to much applause, Hosoda paints on the widest canvas he can manage, giving us a true epic for the digital age. Don’t worry about the film’s message, though; this is not a pessimistic tale about the evils of the internet, but rather about how the...
- 2/24/2022
- by Brian Collins
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
Entertainment Film Distributors’ ‘Dog’ was the highest opener.
Rank Film (distributor) Three-day gross (Feb 18-20) Total gross to date Week 1. Uncharted (Sony) £3.8m £12.2m 2 2. Sing 2 (Universal) £3.2m £23.3m 4 3. Death On The Nile (Disney) £1.3m £4.7m 2 4. Dog (Entertainment Film Distributors) £822,123 £822,123 1 5. Belfast (Universal) £756,381 £11.3m 5
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.36
Sony action-adventure Uncharted led the UK-Ireland chart for a second successive weekend, as holdovers dominated the top titles amid the continued revival of the post-pandemic box office.
Uncharted added £3.8m, dropping just 19.9% on its strong opening, to reach £12.2m. Sony will have high hopes of it becoming one of few titles to cross...
Rank Film (distributor) Three-day gross (Feb 18-20) Total gross to date Week 1. Uncharted (Sony) £3.8m £12.2m 2 2. Sing 2 (Universal) £3.2m £23.3m 4 3. Death On The Nile (Disney) £1.3m £4.7m 2 4. Dog (Entertainment Film Distributors) £822,123 £822,123 1 5. Belfast (Universal) £756,381 £11.3m 5
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.36
Sony action-adventure Uncharted led the UK-Ireland chart for a second successive weekend, as holdovers dominated the top titles amid the continued revival of the post-pandemic box office.
Uncharted added £3.8m, dropping just 19.9% on its strong opening, to reach £12.2m. Sony will have high hopes of it becoming one of few titles to cross...
- 2/21/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Four titles top £1m as box office continues to recover.
Rank Film (distributor) Three-day gross (Feb 11-13)Total gross to date Week 1. Uncharted (Sony) £4.7m £4.7m 1 2. Sing 2 (Universal) £3.2m £16.8m 3 3. Death on the Nile (Disney) £1.9m £1.9m 1 4. Belfast (Universal)
£1.05m £11.3m 4 5. Jackass Forever (Paramount)
£1m £4.1m 2
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.35
Sony’s videogame adaptation Uncharted has made a strong start at the UK-Ireland box office, grossing over £4.7m on its opening weekend.
The film played in 580 locations, bringing in an excellent £8,105 location average.
Its total is above both the three-day £3.7m and four-day £4.3m opening weekend of Sony stablemate Ghostbusters: Afterlife,...
Rank Film (distributor) Three-day gross (Feb 11-13)Total gross to date Week 1. Uncharted (Sony) £4.7m £4.7m 1 2. Sing 2 (Universal) £3.2m £16.8m 3 3. Death on the Nile (Disney) £1.9m £1.9m 1 4. Belfast (Universal)
£1.05m £11.3m 4 5. Jackass Forever (Paramount)
£1m £4.1m 2
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.35
Sony’s videogame adaptation Uncharted has made a strong start at the UK-Ireland box office, grossing over £4.7m on its opening weekend.
The film played in 580 locations, bringing in an excellent £8,105 location average.
Its total is above both the three-day £3.7m and four-day £4.3m opening weekend of Sony stablemate Ghostbusters: Afterlife,...
- 2/14/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
‘The Souvenir Part II’, ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ both open.
Rank Film (distributor) Three-day gross (Feb 4-6) Total gross to date Week 1. Sing 2 (Universal) £5.1m £13m 2 2. Jackass Forever (Paramount) £2.1m £2.1m 1 3. Belfast (Univeral) £1.5m £9m 3 4. Spider-Man: No Way Home (Sony) £1.15m £91.7m 8 5. Moonfall (Efd) £1m £1.16m 1
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.35
Paramount’s Jackass Forever has set a franchise opening record with a £2.1m start at the UK-Ireland box office this weekend, as Sing 2 kept top spot with an impressive second session.
Jackass Forever played in 537 locations, taking a location average of £3,911 – a decent total for an 18-rated film.
Rank Film (distributor) Three-day gross (Feb 4-6) Total gross to date Week 1. Sing 2 (Universal) £5.1m £13m 2 2. Jackass Forever (Paramount) £2.1m £2.1m 1 3. Belfast (Univeral) £1.5m £9m 3 4. Spider-Man: No Way Home (Sony) £1.15m £91.7m 8 5. Moonfall (Efd) £1m £1.16m 1
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.35
Paramount’s Jackass Forever has set a franchise opening record with a £2.1m start at the UK-Ireland box office this weekend, as Sing 2 kept top spot with an impressive second session.
Jackass Forever played in 537 locations, taking a location average of £3,911 – a decent total for an 18-rated film.
- 2/7/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Mamoru Hosoda’s new anime presents an enchanting alternative reality, in contrast to Hollywood’s usual terrifying portrayals of virtual life
Fears about our digital future were not assuaged last October when Mark Zuckerberg released a video trailing the delights of “the metaverse”. The Facebook supremo’s awkward presentation style made it feel like an AI-generated missive from beyond the uncanny valley. Plus, many felt there was something pretty dystopian about an immersive new online world controlled by a corporation with a track record of misinformation spreading, data gathering and disseminating harmful body images.
If we’re feeling paranoid about our metaverse future, it might also have something to do with our movies. Hollywood has rarely met a new technology it couldn’t make seem terrifying and wrong. From virtual reality, to artificial intelligence, from social media to real-life tech titans like, er, Mark Zuckerberg (The Social Network), we’ve...
Fears about our digital future were not assuaged last October when Mark Zuckerberg released a video trailing the delights of “the metaverse”. The Facebook supremo’s awkward presentation style made it feel like an AI-generated missive from beyond the uncanny valley. Plus, many felt there was something pretty dystopian about an immersive new online world controlled by a corporation with a track record of misinformation spreading, data gathering and disseminating harmful body images.
If we’re feeling paranoid about our metaverse future, it might also have something to do with our movies. Hollywood has rarely met a new technology it couldn’t make seem terrifying and wrong. From virtual reality, to artificial intelligence, from social media to real-life tech titans like, er, Mark Zuckerberg (The Social Network), we’ve...
- 2/4/2022
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
U is the world’s biggest internet community and ethereal singer Belle is its brightest star. From the moment she burst onto the virtual scene, lovers and haters Irl and inside U have been consumed with learning the pink-haired pop icon true’s identity.
17-year-old Suzu (Kaho Nakamura) is horrified by Belle’s success. Devastated by the loss of her beloved mother, the weight of grief has stolen Suzu’s confidence and her voice from her. The act of singing now makes her ill and she has withdrawn from her father and closest friends to mourn alone.
Escaping into U was an act of desperation but the site’s biometric tech draws out its users’ inner strengths and gifts so once inside Suzu couldn’t help giving voice to her pain. Her plaintive song was raw and real and a host of avatars gathered to listen. Checking her phone back...
17-year-old Suzu (Kaho Nakamura) is horrified by Belle’s success. Devastated by the loss of her beloved mother, the weight of grief has stolen Suzu’s confidence and her voice from her. The act of singing now makes her ill and she has withdrawn from her father and closest friends to mourn alone.
Escaping into U was an act of desperation but the site’s biometric tech draws out its users’ inner strengths and gifts so once inside Suzu couldn’t help giving voice to her pain. Her plaintive song was raw and real and a host of avatars gathered to listen. Checking her phone back...
- 2/2/2022
- by Emily Breen
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
This weird postmodern drama sees a lonely teenager join a virtual world where she becomes a hugely successful singer
There’s some amazing big-screen spectacle in this weird postmodern emo photo-love drama from Japanese anime director Mamoru Hosoda, whose previous film Mirai elevated him to auteur status. Suzu, voiced by Kaho Nakamura, is a deeply unhappy and lonely teenager at high school, who lives with her dad. Her mum died some years ago, attempting (successfully) to save a child from drowning and Suzu can’t come to terms with the zero-sum pointlessness of this calamity: a total stranger was saved but her mother died. Or not zero in fact: while her loss increased the sum-total of unhappiness, the most popular boy in school – a friend since they were little – is tender and protective towards Suzu.
Her life is complicated further when she is persuaded to join a virtual reality meta-universe called U,...
There’s some amazing big-screen spectacle in this weird postmodern emo photo-love drama from Japanese anime director Mamoru Hosoda, whose previous film Mirai elevated him to auteur status. Suzu, voiced by Kaho Nakamura, is a deeply unhappy and lonely teenager at high school, who lives with her dad. Her mum died some years ago, attempting (successfully) to save a child from drowning and Suzu can’t come to terms with the zero-sum pointlessness of this calamity: a total stranger was saved but her mother died. Or not zero in fact: while her loss increased the sum-total of unhappiness, the most popular boy in school – a friend since they were little – is tender and protective towards Suzu.
Her life is complicated further when she is persuaded to join a virtual reality meta-universe called U,...
- 2/1/2022
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.