News

Disney Japan Outsources Home Video Production, Sales to Happinet

Happinet announced on May 13 that its subsidiary Happinet Media Marketing has signed a home entertainment license agreement with Walt Disney's Japanese arm to manufacture and sell Disney-branded Blu-ray Discs and DVDs in Japan, starting on October 1.

In Japan, Disney has handled the home video releases for Studio Ghibli titles since 1996. (GKIDS now releases Ghibli films on home video in the United States through Shout! Factory, and Wild Bunch — now Goodfellas — now handles Ghibli's home video releases in France.) Disney's library titles also include blockbuster hits from its own Disney brand, Pixar animation, and the Marvel brand.

Disney USA had announced in February that it would outsource its home video business in the United States and Canada to the Sony Group. Going forward, Sony Entertainment will market, sell, and distribute new releases and library titles in the United States and Canada under license from Disney.

Then in March, Sony Pictures Entertainment in Japan announced that it had signed a comprehensive home video agreement with Happinet Media Marketing. Effective on May 1, Happinet now produces and sells home video releases in Japan for all works to which Sony Pictures Entertainment has rights.

Happinet Media Marketing is an intermediate distribution company for video and music releases, game software, toys, and other products. The company handles every aspect from planning and production to sales of video releases as a one-stop service.

Sources: Animation Business Journal (Tadashi Sudo), PR Times, The Hollywood Reporter (Alex Weprin)