MAPPA, the popular studio behind anime hits like Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan, and Chainsaw Man, makes a surprise foray into the live-action production business. They team up with several partners hoping to revitalize the film industry.
Via Comic Natalie, MAPPA has joined a group of production partners who will support K2 Pictures in producing a live-action film aimed at the global market. K2 Pictures is a company focused on film and video, with well-known Japanese filmmakers Hirokazu Kore-eda, Shunji Iwai, Kazuya Shiraishi, Miwa Nishikawa, and Takashi Miike supporting the cause alongside MAPPA. Fans can check out this latest venture's announcement visual and more information below.
Film producer Muneyuki Kii founded K2 Pictures in Aug. 2023, whose stated aims are to "create a new ecosystem for Japanese films," overturn the industry's purported stagnation, properly return profits to filmmakers, increase funding for films, and allow new investors to enter the market domestically and overseas. As a partner, MAPPA released the following statement: "We participated in this project hoping to support K2 Pictures in its challenges. We would like to do our best as a partner in film production while thinking to the best of our ability as an animation studio." The studio's involvement is another example of MAPPA CEO Manabu Otsuka's vision, where he said the studio needed to branch out of just animation to survive. In addition to live-action film production, MAPPA is now involved in copyrights and events management.
These issues aren't only affecting the Japanese film industry. Former MAPPA board member Makoto Kimura, who produced Chainsaw Man and transformed the studio's copyrights department, highlighted that many of these issues similarly affect the anime industry. Revealing how MAPPA acquired 100% of Chainsaw Man's rights to anime, Kimura said most other studios lacked the know-how to gain funding, highlighting vehicles like bridge financing and the Cool Japan Fund. His new company, BLUE RIGHTS, aims to solve these issues and properly return profits to anime creators, many of whom highlight severe underpayment.
It's worth noting that Kore-eda's involvement in K2 Pictures notably follows his outspoken statement last month alongside Godzilla Minus One director, Takashi Yamazaki. Both spoke directly to Japan's Prime Minister at the Council of New Form of Capitalism Realization. They called for increased public and private sector investment, a review of current profit structures, possible contract exploitation, and more.
Source: Comic Natalie
