NEWS

Marty Supreme has been nominated for 9 awards at the 98th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor.

What makes this moment especially meaningful is that, in the newly established Casting Award, Jennifer Venditti has been named to this historic first list.

As her partner in Japan, we at KAIJU INC.are deeply proud to have walked alongside her in this journey of pursuing what is truly real.

Timothée Chalamet’s incredible run speaks for itself, but these nine nominations are the result of a team that refused to compromise in any direction.

The results are still to come, but we cannot wait to see what kind of smash this film delivers at the biggest table of them all, the Oscars.

9 Academy Awards Nominations:
• Best Picture
• Best Director – Josh Safdie
• Best Actor – Timothée Chalamet
• Best Original Screenplay
• Best Cinematography
• Best Editing
• Best Production Design
• Best Casting – Jennifer Venditti
• Best Costume Design

At the 41st Artios Awards—hosted by the Casting Society of America (CSA) and often referred to as the “Academy Awards of casting”—Ko Iwagami received a nomination for Marty Supreme.

*************
To be recognized by casting professionals at the heart of Hollywood is truly humbling.

What makes this moment even more special is that fellow Japanese casting directors, Masunobu Motokawa (Kokuhō) and Kei Kawamura (Rental Family), have also been nominated.

It is incredibly rare and genuinely historic to see Japanese casting directors so strongly represented and acknowledged on a global stage.

We are entering an era where Japanese talent is not treated as an exception, but is recognized worldwide as a natural part of the industry.

To stand at this forefront alongside mentors and peers I deeply respect fills me with gratitude.

My sincere thanks to the filmmakers and crews who brought this project to life, to the entire KAIJU team, and to Georgina Pope at TOHO Tombo for entrusting me with this opportunity.

Thank you all, truly.

Ko Iwagami

*************

Godzilla -0.0, the latest film directed, written, and featuring VFX by Takashi Yamazaki, will be released in Japan on November 3, 2026, known as “Godzilla Day.” The film will open in North America the same week, on November 6.

The Japanese release version of Black Box Diaries, the first feature film by journalist Shiori Ito—who became the first Japanese director ever nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 97th Academy Awards—has finally been completed. The film is set to screen at T-Joy PRINCE Shinagawa starting Friday, December 12.

The A24 film “Marty Supreme,” starring Timothée Chalamet and directed by Josh Safdie of the Safdie brothers, held its world premiere at the New York Film Festival on October 6 (local time), ahead of its North American release on December 25.

Marty Supreme | Official Teaser ：LINK

Director Mayumi Yoshida’s debut feature film AKASHI will have its World Premiere at the 44th Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) this October!! The film will be featured in the Northern Lights section. Stay tuned for more updates!!

The short film Milk Lady (directed by Sachiko Miyase) has been selected to screen this August at the Seoul International Women’s Film Festival (Asian Shorts section) and the Osaka Asian Film Festival (Indie Forum section)!

For the latest installment of the highly popular game series “Yakuza 8: The Legend of the Dragon – Pirates in Hawaii,” we have cast Takahiro Aoki and Kenji Matsuda as voice actors.

The cast has been announced for the future film “Frontline”, the first Japanese film with an original screenplay to tell the fact-based story of the new coronavirus experienced by humanity on a global scale.

CAST: Shun Oguri, Tori Matsuzaka, Sousuke Ikematsu, Yosuke Kubozuka

We participated in part of the casting.
Please stay tuned for further information.

Amazon Original Tv series Like a Dragon: Yakuza will be sreaming exclusively worldwide on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories from 25 October for the first three episodes.

Based on the hit game series ‘Ryu ga Gotoku’ by SEGA Corporation and produced with an original script, the film stars the popular and talented actor Ryoma Takeuchi, who has appeared in various films, TV dramas and theater plays, and is directed by Masaharu Take and Kengo Takimoto.

CAST:
Takeuchi Ryoma Kento Kaku Yumi Kawai
Subaru Shibuya Munetaka Aoki
Hinano Nakayama Tomoya Maeno Shohei Uno
Misato Morita Saki Takaoka / Koichi Sato
Masaya Kato Ryudo Uzaki
Toshiaki Karasawa

“HAPPYEND”, the feature film debut of director Sora Neo, who is known by his concert documentary film “Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus”, has been selected for the Orizzonti Competition at the 81st Venice International Film Festival!A world premiere screening will be held before the film’s release in Japan on 4 October.

Season 2 of Prime Video’s romantic reality show Amazon Original ‘Love Transit’ will be exclusively available from 22 August!

“Happyend”, the feature film debut of up-and-coming director Neo Sora, who has garnered attention from film festivals around the world for his short film “The Chicken” and the concert documentary film “Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus”, will be released on 4 October (Fri) at Shinjuku Piccadilly, Human Trust Cinema Shibuya, and other locations nationwide.

CAST: Hayato Kurihara, Yukito Hidaka, Yuta Hayashi, Shina Peng, ARAZI, Kilala Inori / Ayumu Nakajima, Masaru Yahagi, PUSHIM, Makiko Watanabe / Shiro Sano

FOD Original Short Drama “I am…” will be exclusively distributed on FOD, a video distribution service operated by Fuji Television Network, on January 26th (Fri.) at 8:00 a.m. Twenty-three years old may be the most diverse age in a person’s life… Some are newcomers to society, some are already in their fourth year of working, some have become parents, and so on. The drama is an omnibus-style TV series in which five directors and actors tell their own stories about “23-year-old me.

We were in charge of casting for “KOKORO,” directed by Hideto Hotta and written by Leiya. The lead role will be played by Natsuki Robertson, co-starring Kohei, Miku Uehara, and Setsuko Ogawa.

[Synopsis.]
In addition to the majority of Japanese whose parents are Japanese, there are “Japanese” from various backgrounds in Japan, including mixed-roots (half-Japanese etc.), returnees, and foreigners born and raised in Japan. Kokoro Suenaga is a mixed-roots Japanese who is troubled by the meaning of her existence, her work, and her place in the world. In the midst of her life in Japan, which is full of contradictions and exceptions, she is troubled by her contact with the people around her and people from various backgrounds, but she manages to find her own “answers” to her problems.

[Official Site] https://www.fujitv.co.jp/iam/

The trailer for Season 2 of the original crime drama series “Tokyo Vice,” been released and it will premiere on the streamer on Feb. 8 on Max with the release of two episodes (Subsequently, one episode will debut every week for eight weeks) and April. 6 on WOWOW.

The trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJz0X-UZypk

Yoshida, best known as an actor for her role in The Man in The High Castle, will also star in the film alongside veteran performers Hana Kino (Like Father Like Son, Come On Irene), Chieko Matsubara (A Long Goodbye, Tokyo Drifter), Kunio Murai (Godzilla VS Gigan, Tokyo Ghoul), and rising performer Ryo Tajima (Avalanche, Informa).

Described as a “coming-of-age love story,” Akashi follows Kana (Yoshida), an artist who is at a crossroads in her career. After finding out her Grandmother (Kino) has passed, she returns home to Tokyo for the funeral, where she rekindles a romance with childhood love Hiro (Tajima) and uncovers a family secret about her Grandpa (Murai).

Tokyo Vice Season 2 will return to Max in February 2024 in the US and to WOWOW in spring 2024 in Japan. Ansel Elgort, Ken Watanabe, Rachel Keller, Rinko Kikuchi, and Masashi Kasamatsu will come back to the new series, and Yosuke Kubozuka and Miki Maya will also join from this season!

The film “Cottontail,” starring Lily Frankie, will be released on March 1, 2024.

The film is a Japanese-British co-production directed by Patrick Dickinson, winner of the British Academy Award for Best US Student Film.

Lily Franky, Ryo Nishikido, Tae Kimura, and and Rin Takanashi star in the film. Also, Ciaran Hinds of “Belfast” and Eefa Hinds of “Normal People”.

Lily and director Dickinson attended the official world premiere screening at the 18th Rome International Film Festival’s. Director Dickinson received the award for Best First Feature Film.

The world premiere of the Japanese-British co-production “Cottontail,” starring Lily Franky, Ryo Nishikido, Tae Kimura, Rin Takanashi and Ciaran Hinds (“First Man”), will be held at the Rome Film Festival on October 26.

Iori Abe will play the leading role in “Boku no Naka ni Saku Hanabi”. The film is directed by up-and-coming director Yusho Shimizu, who won the Best J.Horror Award at the Japan Film Festival Los Angeles 2022.

Panasonic Make New movie won Silver in the Achievement in Production category in the Crafts category at the 70th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity!

The featured film, Biohazard: Death Island directed by Eiichirô Hasumi has come out in theater since July 7th in Japan. KAIJU INC. was in charge of casting actors for motion capture.

[Synopsis]
D.S.O. agent Leon S. Kennedy is on a mission to rescue Dr. Antonio Taylor from kidnappers, when a mysterious woman thwarts his pursuit. Meanwhile, B.S.A.A. agent Chris Redfield is investigating a zombie outbreak in San Francisco, where the cause of the infection cannot be identified. The only thing the victims have in common is that they all visited Alcatraz Island recently. Following that clue, Chris and his team head to the island, where a new horror awaits them.

Towa Araki, Durian Lollobrigida, Hono Miyabe joined the premiere screening for the short film, Strange directed by Ken Ochiai.

The shot film, “Strange” directed by Ken Ochiai has been nominated for Asia International & Japan Program of Short Shorts Film Festival & Asian 2023.

Screening Information:
DATE/TIME: Sunday, June 25 @11:2- to 13:10
LOCATION: Omotesando Hils Space O

Online Screening:
TERM: June 26 to July 10 (Domestic streaming only)

***Please check the official site for your apply and more information.
https://shortshorts.org/2023/program/aj/aj-11/strange/

WELCOME TO NIKE JUKU has won SILVER SPIKE in Casting category and GOLD SPIKE in Direction category at Spikes Asia FESTIVAL OF CREATIVITY.

The teaser Trailer for “Strange,” a short film directed by Ken Ochiai x produced by Digital Hollywood University Graduate School / WOS, has been released‼︎

CAST: Toba Araki Durian Lollobrigida Miyabe Hono

Director/Screenplay: Ken Ochiai
Original story: “Strange” by Yuruko Tsuyuuki (Torch Comics, published by Lido)

Youtube link

The Bloat, written and directed by up-and-coming Tokyo-based horror filmmaker Pablo Absento, has been in post production now and expected to be completed by mid-2023. KAIJU INC. is honor to be a  part of this project!!

*Synopsis: “Bloat” tells the story of a mother (Novakovic) and two sons who are vacationing in Japan. The father of the family (McKenzie), who is a military officer, is away stationed in Turkey. During their stay outside Tokyo, their younger son almost drowns in a lake. Soon after the accident, the parents realize that something is wrong with their boy.

HBO Max has ordered a second season of Tokyo Vice from FIFTH SEASON and wowow, Japan’s leading pay TV player. It stars Ken Watanabe and Ansel Elgort and hails from creator and writer/executive producer J.T. Rogers. Please stay tuned for new cast!