Nikkatsu Unveils Youth-Driven Slate at Tokyo Film Market

By Patrick Frater

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Japan’s Nikkatsu is poised to be one of the busiest sales companies at the market this week. In addition to local hit “One Cut of the Dead” and festival favorite “Killing,” the company has a slate of titles in post-production that it is pitching at the autumn festivals and markets.

Youth drama, “We Are Little Zombies” is set for an early summer release in 2019. Written and directed by Makoto Nagahisa, who last year won a grand prize at Sundance for his short film “And So We Put Goldfish in The Pool,” the film is a story of four youngsters who all lose their parents around the same time. Realizing that they are devoid of emotion, they put together a kick-ass band to try to recover their ability to feel.

Written and directed by Indonesia’s Kimo Stamboel – one half of the so-called Mo Brothers – “Dreadout: Tower of Hell” is a horror film set for release in 2019. It is a big screen adaptation of “Dreadout,” Indonesia’s first example of a horror computer game that has become an international success. It follows the perils of a woman who accidentally opens the door to the spirit world and has to prevent evil forces dragging her friends into hell.

Other titles in post-production include; “Day and Night,” a crime drama directed by Michihito Fujii, and set for a January, 2019 theatrical release; and, fantasy film “Makuto,” about a schoolboy and a stunningly beautiful girl, set for a March release. It is written and adapted by Keiko Tsuruoka, from the original novel by Kanako Nishi.

The company is also selling “Buffalo Boys,” a 19th century Indonesian Wild West tale directed by studio boss and producer Mike Wiluan. The film debuted at the Fantasia and New York Asian film festivals and is set as Singapore’s foreign-language Oscar contender.