Directed by Sato Shinsuke and starring Arashi’s Ninomiya Kazunari (27) and actor Matsuyama Kenichi (25), the cast of the movie GANTZ attended a press conference on the 5th to announce the post-production progress of the film. The press conference was held at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo’s Uchisaiwaichou.

Fellow cast members including Yoshitaka Yuriko (22) and Yamada Takayuki (26) were also in attendance. At the nearby Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall, the press conference was being broadcasted simultaneously. It is the first time in Japanese film history that there has been a public viewing of the press conference. It was sweltering hot in Tokyo, with the temperature reaching a high of 35°C. At the end of the press conference, the actors appeared as the surprise guests. Calling out to the 2,000 fans in attendance, they said, “Thank you for coming out in this heat. GANTZ is an amazing movie. Please look forward to it.”

The SF action comic GANTZ was originally serialized in the magazine Weekly Young Jump. The production cost for the movie is at 4 billion yen. Part 1 of the movie will be released next January, while Part 2 will be released in the spring.

The live-action movie adaptation of Yumi Unita’s manga series “Usagi Drop” now has a cast. Kenichi Matsuyama (25) will play the lead role, supported by child actress Mana Ashida (6). SABU will direct.

The movie, first announced in June, tells the story of a young and awkward bachelor (Matsuyama) who begins raising a girl (Ashida) after he learns that she is the illegitimate child of his grandfather. This will be Matsuyama’s first time playing a father figure.

Ashida, who debuted as an actress last year, has recently gained attention for her roles in the drama series “Mother” and the movie “Kokuhaku.”

Other cast members include Karina (26) and Chizuru Ikewaki (28). Filming has already begun and is scheduled to finish during the middle of this month. Summer 2011 is being targeted for theatrical release.

This year’s Venice Film Festival (September 1-11) will have two Japanese movies in the competition section, vying for the prestigious Golden Lion award. One is Tran Anh Hung’s “Norwegian Wood,” adapted from Haruki Murakami’s novel of the same name, and the other is Takashi Miike’s “13 Assassins” remake.

American director Quentin Tarantino is heading this year’s judging panel, who will decide the Golden Lion recipient on the festival’s final day. The award has been won by three Japanese films so far: Akira Kurosawa’s “Rashomon” in 1951, Hiroshi Inagaki’s “Rickshaw Man” in 1958, and Takeshi Kitano’s “HANA-BI” in 1997.

“13 Assassins” (starring Koji Yakusho) is opening in Japan on September 25, while “Norwegian Wood” (starring Kenichi Matsuyama and Rinko Kikuchi) is slated for December.

UPDATE: It has also been announced that Sion Sono’s “Cold Fish” will compete in the Orizzonti section of the festival.

The live-action movie adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s popular novel “Norwegian Wood” has actually received approval to use the original Beatles song of the same name as its theme song.

The song “Norwegian Wood,” first recorded on the 1965 Beatles album “Rubber Soul,” inspired the title of Murakami’s novel when he published it in 1987. The song is a thematic element of the story, and the film will faithfully include it in multiple scenes. Although director Tran Anh Hung felt it was only natural to use “Norwegian Wood” as the movie’s theme song, negotiations were still incomplete by the time filming wrapped up last August.

Apple Records, which owns the rights to the Beatles catalog, initially refused. The film’s producer considered having another artist cover the song, but Hung insisted that the original should be used. His perseverance paid off, as he finally secured approval in December. Apple had a policy against using the Beatles’ version of the song in a commercial work, but the company ultimately made an exception for the “Norwegian Wood” adaptation, reportedly taking into account the tremendous popularity of the Murakami novel. So far, it has been translated into 36 languages and has sold 10 million copies in Japan alone.

The last time a Beatles tune was the theme song for a Japanese film was nearly 30 years ago in 1981, when “Let It Be” was used in “Akuryou Tou.”

The “Norwegian Wood” movie, which stars Kenichi Matsuyama (25) and Rinko Kikuchi (29), opens in theaters this December.

The live-action “GANTZ” movies, starring Kazunari Ninomiya (27) and Kenichi Matsuyama (25), are reportedly getting screened overseas. The first country confirmed is France, though an exact date has not been announced. It also not yet clear whether it will be a limited screening or a theatrical run.

“GANTZ,” which is based on a sci-fi manga by Hiroya Oku, is being released as two films. The first is scheduled to open in Japan in early 2011, followed by the second movie in the spring.

Negotiations for a screening in France started in May during the Cannes Film Festival, and a deal was successfully made in mid-June. It has also reportedly been decided that the films will be shown in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Indonesia.

Japan’s Nippon Television Network (NTV) has sold Shinsuke Sato’s Gantz to Wild Side Films for France and Tiberius for German-speaking territories. Wild Side snapped up NTV’s The Incite Mill – 7 Day Death Game, directed by Hideo Nakata, earlier in the market.

NTV also sold Gantz to Hong Kong’s Golden Harvest, Taiwan’s Catchplay and Encore Films for Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. Based on a cult manga of the same name, the film stars heartthrobs Kazunari Ninomiya and Kenichi Matsuyama.

Satoshi Tsumabuki (29) and Kenichi Matsuyama (25) will co-star in a new movie from director Nobuhiro Yamashita (“Linda Linda Linda,” “Tennen Kokekko”).

Titled “My Back Page,” the story is set around the time of the 1969 student protests at Tokyo University. It is based on the experiences of critic Saburo Kawamoto, who was a newspaper reporter at the time of the protests. Tsumabuki will play a journalist named Sawada, while Matsuyama will play a left-wing student named Umeyama.

The supporting cast includes Shiori Kutsuna (17) as a model who appears on the cover of Sawada’s magazine, Anna Ishibashi (17) as Umeyama’s girlfriend, Keishi Nagatsuka (35), Tomokazu Miura (58), and Aoi Nakamura (19). Filming starts on the 16th, with a release date set for sometime in 2011.

Kenichi Matsuyama has acknowledged his relationship with Koyuki at the press conference for his new movie Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac. When reporters asked Matsuyama if he has kissed Koyuki before, and if their relationship was progressing smoothly, he answered “yes” to both questions. He then bowed to the crowd of reporters before leaving the stage.

Matsuyama Kenichi and Koyuki have been rumoured together since collaborating on the film Kamui last year. While the two never admitted to the rumours at first, earlier in the week both parties finally acknowledged the relationship while attending separate functions. It seems their relationship has reached a new level. The latest issue of Japanese magazine Josei Seven reports that Matsuyama has moved in with Koyuki and her family. It seems like her family has already accepted Matsuyama as their son-in-law. Apparently Koyuki began renovating her house last fall to prepare for Matsuyama.

However, when the magazine interviewed Matsuyama’s mother, she said she was unaware of the move. But a close source to the couple said that it’s only because Matsuyama has not informed his mother yet.

This autumn, TBS plans to broadcast a five-episode drama series titled “Japanese Americans.” The drama, an original work by veteran screenwriter Sugako Hashida, focuses on a Japanese family who emigrated to the United States a century ago and lived through World War II.

SMAP’s Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (35) will star, playing the second-generation immigrant Ichiro Hiramatsu, who serves as a U.S. soldier during the war. Kusanagi will also play the role of the father Nagayoshi during his younger days, though Kiichi Nakai (48) will take over that character for middle age and beyond.

Yukie Nakama (30) plays the heroine as Ichiro’s love interest Shinobu. Other cast members include Pinko Izumi (62) as the mother, Kenichi Matsuyama (24) as the younger brother Jiro, Yo Oizumi (36), Kaoru Yachigusa (79), and Keiko Kishi (77).

Filming starts in the next few days and is expected to last five months, including two months of filming in the U.S. Broadcast dates have not yet been set, but it will air this fall as five two-hour episodes on consecutive nights, which is a first for the network. The drama is being labeled as a special project in honor of TBS’s 60th anniversary.

Last October, it was revealed that Hiroya Oku’s sci-fi manga “GANTZ” is being adapted as two live-action films, starring Kazunari Ninomiya (26) and Kenichi Matsuyama (24). It has now been announced that actress Yuriko Yoshitaka (21) is taking on the heroine role.

The story revolves around two young men named Kei Kurono (Ninomiya) and Masaru Kato (Matsuyama) who should have died in a train accident, but a mysterious entity known as GANTZ brings them back to life and sends them on missions to hunt down alien beings.

Yoshitaka will play the role of Tae Kojima, Kurono’s classmate at university. A pure romance develops between the two characters, contrasting with the brutal violence that Kurono and Kato engage in for their missions under GANTZ. Yoshitaka will also participate in some action scenes (including wire-action).

Both of the “GANTZ” movies are scheduled for 2011.

15-year-old Japanese-American singer Kylee will provide her first movie theme song for the Hans Canosa film “Dareka ga Watashi ni Kiss wo Shita,” which stars Maki Horikita (21) and Kenichi Matsuyama (24). In addition to singing, Kylee is also making her acting debut in the film.

Kylee, who hails from Arizona, first gained fame in 2005 when she sang the national anthem at an NBA game. In 2008, she debuted in Japan with the single “VACANCY,” and in 2009 she became the youngest artist ever to perform at the Summer Sonic music festival.

Canosa saw Kylee perform last year when he visited Japan for the movie, and he is said to have noticed Kylee’s ability for acting as well. He immediately gave the singer a role as an underclassman at the international high school where the story takes place. Kylee’s song “Kimi ga Iru Kara” will be used as the film’s theme song, and another song by her will be used during the film. “Kimi ga Iru Kara” will go on sale as a single on March 24.

The movie, also known by the earlier working title “Nakushita Kioku,” is an adaptation of Gabrielle Zevin’s novel “Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac.” Horikita plays a high school student who loses part of her memory in an accident. In addition to Matsuyama, NEWS member Yuya Tegoshi (22) and American actor Anton Yelchin (20) have been cast. The film opens in theaters on March 27.

Japanese studio Toei has pre-sold US-Japan co-production Memoirs Of A Teenage Amnesiac to Hong Kong distributor Golden Scene.

Directed by New York-based filmmaker Hans Canosa, the film revolves around a girl at an international school in Tokyo who loses four years of memory after an accident.

It stars Japan�s hottest heartthrob, Kenichi Matsuyama, and Maki Horikita who shot to stardom with her performance in blockbuster Always: Sunset On Third Street 2. US actor Anton Yelchin and Yuya Tegoshi, a member of J-pop group News, round out the cast.

Filmed in both the US and Japan, the film is a co-production between the director�s own production outfit, Canosa Productions, and a Japanese production committee. Around 40% of the dialogue is in English and the rest in Japanese.

Canosa was winner of the special jury prize at the Tokyo “International Film Festival” in 2005 for Conversations With Other Women.

Memoirs Of A Teenage Amnesiac will be released into theatres March 27, 2010!

From a while ago in Japan ‘Taiga’ dramas and ‘jidaigeki’ films have become very popular. ['Taiga' dramas are a series of historical TV dramas broadcast by NHK. 'Jidaigeki' films are historical movies that focus on the time periods in which the samurai class existed. They could also more specifically center on the Edo period (1603-1868).] A survey was conducted where people were asked “Which actor would you like to see play the role of a samurai warlord of the Sengoku period (1467/1493-1573)?”

Arashi member Matsumoto Jun won the most votes. He had also been chosen a while back as the ‘most desirable actor as a boyfriend’. Matsumoto has appeared in many films and dramas in a wide variety of roles, but he has only appeared in one ‘jidaigeki’ film so far. The movie is The Last Princess. Even for that movie his character Musashi sported an unshaved beard and made a living by searching for hidden gold; not exactly your garden variety samurai. But a lot of fans apparently wanted to see Matsumoto in future films/dramas play the role of a good-looking samurai warlord, leading his army while donning a kabuto [samurai helmet].

KinKi Kids member Domoto Koichi came in at No.2, and probably for much the same reasons as Matsumoto. No.3 was Oguri Shun while No.4 went to GACKT. Kusanagi Tsuyoshi took the No.5 spot followed closely by No.6 Arashi member Ohno Satoshi. No.7 was Abe Hiroshi, No.8 Fukuyama Masaharu. Another Arashi member Ninomiya Kazunari was No.9. Matsuyama Kenichi ranked in at No.10. In all the top 10 positions went to artists and actors that are currently attracting lots of attention!

Source: musicjapanplus.jp