Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012
A couple of days ago, the ?Hollywood Remake Business Talk Session? took place in Tokyo. The seminar, which runs from October 22-24, was conducted under the umbrella of the TIFFCOM contents market.
Representatives from various US Studios discussed the challenges for branding Japanese remakes. The panel was moderated by Steve Paul, CEO of Crystal Sky?a production company that is currently filming the live-action remake of Tekken. Members of the panel included: Brad Krevoy from Motion Picture Corporation of America (MPCA); Tim Kwok, the owner of Convergence Entertainment; and Zak Kadison, VP of Fox Atomic.
Krevoy said that he is looking for entertainment that will make audiences ?laugh or cry.? And these types of reactions are best-obtained from Japanese films, because of their ?unique storytelling perspective.?
Paul elaborated on why US producers like the prospects of Japanese remakes, saying ?What I primarily look for is ?branded entertainment? that has built in awareness that I can get excited about. Production and P&A costs are huge in Hollywood, so a proven track record is important, whether it?s a best selling manga, a hot video game or original movie.?
Between all the panelists, they?ve produced and adapted six Koran and Japanese films; this includes remakes of manga and video games.
