K2 Pictures, Inc., a company that develops business centered on film / video, is now in full swing and has announced the participating creators who will work together to produce films.
The company, headed by former Toei producer Muneyuki Kii, began operations in August 2023. The company’s main goal is to “create a new ecosystem for Japanese film” and to promote the entry of new domestic and foreign investors into the Japanese film industry and to return profits to creators while expanding Japanese films to the global market.
The announcement includes the launch of the Japanese film production fund “K2P Film Fund I” and participating creators currently working on film productions. Among the creators are Shunji Iwai, known for ‘Kyrie,’ Hirokazu Koreeda, who won the Palme d’Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival for ‘Shoplifters’ and served as a jury member at the 2024 festival, Kazuya Shiraishi, who received the Black Dragon Award (Critics’ Award) at the Udine Far East Film Festival for his latest film ‘Goban Giri,’ Miwa Nishikawa, who won seven awards at the 45th Japan Academy Awards for ‘Under the Open Sky’ and Audience Awards at the 56th Chicago International Film Festival and the 47th Seattle International Film Festival. animation studio MAPPA known for “Jujutsu Kaisen” and “Chainsaw Man,” and Takashi Miike, who has directed numerous films including “First Love,” produced by Kii, and adapted Osamu Tezuka’s manga “Midnight” into a live-action film. Comments from Iwai, Koreeda, Shiraishi, Nishikawa, and Miike have also been released with the announcement.
Shunji Iwai
I absolutely want to support whatever Muneyuki Kii wants to do. That’s my pure motivation for joining this project. As a producer, he’s incredibly reliable. It seems like there’s no lock he can’t open when it comes to him. Working with him is incredibly enjoyable. I think it’s because he has the power to believe in people. Throughout history, revolutionary inventors have changed the course of time. This time, he has created a new vehicle for us: K2 Pictures. It’s like a car, a boat, or even an airplane or submarine. When you climb a mountain, it transforms into an ice axe and crampons. That versatility and adaptability will be the hallmark of K2 Pictures. With a team like that, filmmakers can really give it their all. I want to repay this kindness by throwing in as many ideas as I can. I wonder what adventures await us. What kind of team will we have become in 10 years? Anyway, I can’t wait for everything that lies ahead.Hirokazu Koreeda
In my journey of making films for 30 years, I’ve encountered doubts and discomfort with the conventional ways of filmmaking and have been exploring how to improve them. It was during this process that I came across Kii-san and his team’s initiatives. I was inspired by their determination to create a future where this challenge succeeds, bringing positive change to the film industry and opening up opportunities for new talent. I resonated with their aspiration to realize such a future, and that’s why I joined them as a comrade. I look forward to enjoying our collaboration.Kazuya Shiraishi
I applaud K2 Pictures for their courageous start. I sincerely hope they revolutionize the Japanese film industry and break down invisible barriers. I look forward to seeing projects that were previously deemed impossible in Japanese cinema and the emergence of exceptional unique talents. I also aspire to create films that run alongside them and surprise the world. Thank you and best regards.Miwa Nishikawa
As I progressed in my career in the Japanese film industry, I began to feel more like stumbling along a dead-end rope than having confidence or hope. The idea of making more films started to feel somewhat intimidating. So, I started writing stories that traditional film companies and investors would never welcome, almost turning my back on “film” itself. Then, someone named Kii, who was behind K2 Pictures, offered to finance these stories and turn them into films. I wondered if they were serious. What’s more, they were also opening doors for innovative projects from young filmmakers. I felt that K2 Pictures’ challenge to create opportunities with sufficient funding and environment for new people and daring projects, rather than relying on safe bets, was worth taking. In a sense, K2 Pictures’ funding and distribution mechanisms seem like risky adventures. Indeed, there may be challenges along the way. But if making movies inherently involves risks, I’d rather work with a team willing to take those risks. Especially if it means paving a new path for those who will make films in Japan in the future.Takashi Miike
“K2 Pictures”. And about a dubious man named Kii Kii = Sincere Destroyer. That’s how I see it. He’s very powerful. And I believe the source of that energy is kindness. “Let’s create more interesting films and be happier.” I sense such a simple message in Kii’s smile. So I believe in “K2 Pictures”.
The details of the fund will be announced at a press conference held at the JW Marriott Cannes, near the main festival venue, on May 18 (local time) during the Cannes International Film Festival. Kii, Miike, and Nishikawa attended the press conference. The newcomer, who will make his directorial debut with K2 Pictures, will also be revealed at the press conference.
