Japan’s Dwarf Studios is looking for a new partner for “Hidari,” the stop-motion samurai film voiced by Keanu Reeves, after talks with a U.S. company that offered to fund the entire budget in exchange for all rights stalled, producer Matsumoto Noriko told an audience at the Busan International Film Festival‘s Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM) on Sunday.
\n\nDwarf Studios co-founder and head producer Matsumoto was speaking at “Co-Producing with Japan: Opportunities and Challenges,” a Producer Hub session co-hosted by VIPO. Japan is the Producer Hub’s focus country this year. She was joined by Questry CEO Ibe Tomonobu and Knockonwood founder Yamaguchi Shin, with VIPO’s Tanimoto Hiroyuki moderating. Kawamura Masashi directs “Hidari,” produced by Dwarf, Whatever and Tecarat.
\n\nDwarf’s “Hidari” pitch was a highlight of the Annecy Animation Showcase at Cannes and at Annecy itself earlier this year. A U.S. company’s offer to fund it came with a condition: it would take all the rights. Matsumoto said the company respected Dwarf’s creativity and was prepared to pay enough, but full funding would have left the studio with no control over a highly original project. Dwarf wanted to hold on to half the rights and asked Ibe to find the Japanese…
Original source: https://variety.com/v/tv/