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NEWS: Funimation's Joint Venture Signs Live-Action Film Distribution Deal




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Spotlesseden



Joined: 09 Sep 2004
Posts: 3514
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 12:14 am Reply with quote
Jp films are not that good. Too bad, they can't do live-Action drama.
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jsevakis
Former ANN Editor in Chief


Joined: 28 Jul 2003
Posts: 1684
Location: Los Angeles, CA
PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 1:47 am Reply with quote
This has nothing to do with Japanese, or even Asian films. This is basically just Funimation using their outsized distribution ability to sell other kinds of video product. In this case, low-budget direct-to-video fare.

Probably won't be of much interest to our readers, but it's interesting to see Funi diversify their wholesale offerings, now that they are separate from Navarre, who kind of used to do that for them. With anime not really doing the numbers it used to, it's way better from a business perspective to cast a wider net, especially when you're trying to coax retailers to pay you for product you already shipped.

Also, for our interests, it's probably a good idea that they're doing already-made English-language films with few extras, which will require little manpower to release. (Man, it'd be nice to make a DVD without subtitles. It'd take me 20 minutes, start-to-finish.)
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prime_pm



Joined: 06 Feb 2004
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Location: Your Mother's Bedroom
PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 8:32 am Reply with quote
Ba'al counts as a faith, right?
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TitanXL



Joined: 08 Jun 2010
Posts: 4036
PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 8:33 am Reply with quote
I'd rather see Funi pick up some Tokusatsu.. like Kamen Rider. No one's touching that for some reason

We might be able to get actual Japanese releases rather than "remakes" like Power Rangers for Super Sentai.
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samuelp
Industry Insider


Joined: 25 Nov 2007
Posts: 2231
Location: San Antonio, USA
PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 8:55 am Reply with quote
TitanXL wrote:
I'd rather see Funi pick up some Tokusatsu.. like Kamen Rider. No one's touching that for some reason

We might be able to get actual Japanese releases rather than "remakes" like Power Rangers for Super Sentai.

Most older Japanese live action shows are nigh unlicensable in the west due to extremely boneheaded contracts with the talent agencies of the actors who starred in them.

Basically to license a show, you have to pay a guarantee to every star in the show, and if even one of them doesn't accept the deal it can't go forward.

There are some exceptions to this (I think Kamen rider might even be one of them), and supposedly recent shows made in the past 2-3 years have more reasonable international licensing agreements with the talent agencies. But that's the fundamental reason why you see so much licensed korean drama and so few licensed Japanese dramas.
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NJ_



Joined: 31 Oct 2009
Posts: 3009
Location: Wallington, NJ
PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 9:11 am Reply with quote
TitanXL wrote:
I'd rather see Funi pick up some Tokusatsu.. like Kamen Rider. No one's touching that for some reason


http://www.rightstuf.com/i/tsdvd0710 Rolling Eyes

As for FUNi, there is the Zebraman sequel coming out this month.

http://www.rightstuf.com/i/tsdvd0945 (First film licensed by Media Blasters)
http://www.rightstuf.com/i/fun01334 (Second film)
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Ryo Hazuki



Joined: 01 Jan 2008
Posts: 363
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 9:14 am Reply with quote
Spotlesseden wrote:
Jp films are not that good. Too bad, they can't do live-Action drama.


Michael Bay and Stephen Sommers sure are better than Hirokazu Kore-eda and Tetsuya Nakashima.
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Dakaran



Joined: 17 Jul 2009
Posts: 347
PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 10:04 am Reply with quote
This is good if they can broaden their casting list of actors for dubs and also be shown more on the map because honestly five actors ish doesn't cut it :p
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FLCLGainax





PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 1:04 pm Reply with quote
samuelp wrote:
But that's the fundamental reason why you see so much licensed korean drama and so few licensed Japanese dramas.
It's sad, because I'd really like to see the original Train-Man (Densha Otoko) drama brought over. Viz only released the movie, which isn't as good IMO.
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dragonrider_cody



Joined: 14 Jun 2008
Posts: 2541
PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 1:47 pm Reply with quote
Dakaran wrote:
This is good if they can broaden their casting list of actors for dubs and also be shown more on the map because honestly five actors ish doesn't cut it :p


What does this have to do with live action American films? This deal has nothing to do with anime or Asian films.
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ArsenicSteel



Joined: 12 Jan 2010
Posts: 2370
PostPosted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 2:13 pm Reply with quote
Spotlesseden wrote:
Jp films are not that good. Too bad, they can't do live-Action drama.


And you're basing that on the type of Live-Action dreck Funimation licenses? Funi goes after low-budget movies, direct to home video B movies.
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lilredphoenix



Joined: 05 Jun 2011
Posts: 156
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
PostPosted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 4:53 pm Reply with quote
jsevakis wrote:
This has nothing to do with Japanese, or even Asian films. This is basically just Funimation using their outsized distribution ability to sell other kinds of video product. In this case, low-budget direct-to-video fare.

Probably won't be of much interest to our readers, but it's interesting to see Funi diversify their wholesale offerings, now that they are separate from Navarre, who kind of used to do that for them. With anime not really doing the numbers it used to, it's way better from a business perspective to cast a wider net, especially when you're trying to coax retailers to pay you for product you already shipped.

Also, for our interests, it's probably a good idea that they're doing already-made English-language films with few extras, which will require little manpower to release. (Man, it'd be nice to make a DVD without subtitles. It'd take me 20 minutes, start-to-finish.)


I definitely concur with this, seems like any of us who read up on articles talking about the state of affairs with companies not just in the US but all over the world this is happening companies may start off with a foundational focus on certain products/goods but the need to diversify their marketing strategies and widen their consumer base is essential if they are going to survive in these tough economic times so we are probably going to see more and more companies who may only have dealt with anime, manga and such merchandise go into other product lines such as Live action movies to even get a larger slice of the pie.
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