THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Yamada debuts 80th film

With his latest -- and 80th -- film, "Kabei" (Our Mother), director Yoji Yamada adds another strong work to a career that has spanned six decades and includes the longest-running series in global film history, the 'Tora-san' movies. More

Sony denies report of closures

Japan's Sony Corp. is likely to announce closures of Japanese factories and major divisions early next month, the Times of London said, but the company denied any such plan existed. More

Regent acquires 'Departures'

Regent Releasing has acquired North American distribution rights to "Departures," the latest film from Yojiro Takita and Japan's submission for the best foreign-language film Oscar. More

Yoji Yamada set to film 'Otouto'

Veteran Japanese director Yoji Yamada will begin shooting the family drama "Otouto" in mid-January, with stars Tsurube Shofukutei as the "otouto" or younger brother and Sayuri Yoshinaga as his older sister. More

Wii video is on the way

Dentsu, Japan's largest ad agency, said it would team up with game maker Nintendo to launch a video distribution service on Nintendo's wildly popular Wii console. More

Report: NBC mulls Japan channel

NBC Universal may apply for broadcast rights in Japan when the Ministry of Communications starts accepting applications in March and allots licenses around June. More

Sony eliminating up to 16,000 jobs

Sony is cutting 8,000 jobs and as many as several thousands seasonal and temporary positions amid the global recession. The cuts will come in Sony's electronics unit, which has been most affected by the downturn. More

China bars Taiwan's 'Cape No.7'

HONG KONG -- China has reversed its decision to import a hit Taiwanese film that highlights Japan's 50-year colonial rule over the island because it may be offensive to nationalist sentiment on the Chinese mainland, news reports said. More

Global focus: Co-prod'n treaties

With the world economy in crisis, international treaties and co-productions are transforming the global film sector. More

Hayao Miyazaki knocks PM, manga

TOKYO -- Hayao Miyazaki criticized Prime Minister Taro Aso's penchant for "manga" comic books Thursday and said children should spend more time experiencing nature than getting engrossed in video games and TV. More

Olivier Assayas pic 'Eyes' Japan

LONDON -- French director Olivier Assayas' "Summer Eyes" will be traveling to Japan following a deal with Japanese distribution entity Crest for the territory. More

New Sony unit has eyes overseas

LOS ANGELES -- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on Tuesday will announce the formation of a new business unit, charged with the acquisition of international content. More

NBCU to grow News Corp. JV

NBC Universal International president Pete Smith on Monday urged media companies to "be bold" and make "fundamental changes" to the way they do business. More

Life still left in game industry

NEW YORK -- Video game sales are expected to be strong this year and in 2009, despite the economic troubles that have hurt some retail stores that sell the games. More

U.S. game sales rise 18%

SAN FRANCISCO -- U.S. sales of video game hardware and software rose 18% in October from a year earlier, after falling 7% in September, as Nintendo's Wii console sold more than 800,000 units, market researcher NPD reported. More

Sabu remaking 'Crab-Canning'

TOKYO -- "The Crab-Canning Ship," a 1920s novel that became the surprise literary hit of the year, is getting a movie remake directed by Sabu, with filming set to start by the end of November. More

Uni expands DVD reach in Japan

LOS ANGELES -- Universal Pictures International Entertainment is fueling its drive into Japan’s home entertainment market by snapping up a majority stake in Japanese DVD distribution label Geneon. More

Palisades Tartan takes 'Sinking'

SANTA MONICA -- Palisades Tartan has acquired U.S. and U.K. rights to Shinji Higuchi’s disaster epic "The Sinking of Japan," along with U.S. rights to the extreme horror title "The Butcher," as part of its bid to rebuild the 25-year-old label. More

Yahoo Japan launches 'myzo'

TOKYO -- Talent agency and production company Yoshimoto Kogyo has partnered with Yahoo Japan to launch "myzo," an online service set to offer sponsored original drama and comedy shorts. More

Finalists chosen for Sundance/NHK Award

Twelve projects from emerging filmmakers from around the world have been selected as finalists for the 2009 Sundance/NHK Filmmakers Award. More

Koreans get fast start at AFM

SANTA MONICA -- Korean companies were in good stead to withstand the slow flow of foot traffic at the AFM on Wednesday, unveiling two major deals with Japanese companies. More

Shochiku's 'Panda' logs sales

SANTA MONICA -- Japan's Shochiku has sold French, Benelux, German and Italian rights to Paris-based Wild Bunch for Tadashi Mori's panda documentary, "Panda Diary." More

Star World, FX have edge in Asia

SINGAPORE -- English-language entertainment channel Star World and its News Corp. sibling FX -- the Asia version -- are moving toward a bolder content acquisition strategy and an edgier identity in the region. More

'La Boheme' sells to Japan, U.K.

COLOGNE, Germany -- Opera film "La Boheme," featuring singing stars Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon, has sold to the U.K. and Japan ahead of the American Film Market, which kicks off Wednesday. More

Kaneshiro knocked from Horse

TAIPEI -- Chinese-Japanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro (“The Warlords”) was disqualified for the Golden Horse awards late Thursday after the judges learned of his nationality. More

Nintendo jumps with consoles

TOKYO -- Nintendo's net profit rose 9.4% to 145 billion yen ($1.47 billion) for the six months ending Sept. 30, the value of its overseas earnings from strong sales of its Wii and DS gaming consoles sharply reduced by the surging value of the yen. More

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