Matsumoto Leiji, Japanese Manga Artist Behind ‘Space Pirate Captain Harlock,’ Dies at 85

Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s fortnightly strand in which we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films killing it in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track… So we’re going to do the hard work for you.

Finally settling in! Fresh off their $1 million win on The Amazing Race, winners Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss are revealing the newly furnished apartment they share together in Los Angeles.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Warner Bros. Discovery and Japan’s U-Next have announced an extension of their relationship with a renewed deal to supply content to the SVOD platform. The agreement sees U-Next continue as the streaming home of HBO in Japan. Featuring exclusive content rights for HBO, HBO Original and HBO Max Original series, the strengthened agreement includes: current and future seasons of HBO’s “House of the Dragon,” “The Last of Us” and “Succession” as well as returning HBO Original and HBO Max Original series “True Detective: Night Country,” “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” and “And Just Like That…”

Michelle Yeoh is opening up about the discrimination she faced in Hollywood.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Michelle Yeoh was already an actor star overseas by 1997 thanks to popular Hong Kong movies like “Police Story 3: Super Cop” and “Supercop 2,” but it wasn’t until the James Bond tentpole “Tomorrow Never Dies” opened that year that Yeoh had her Hollywood breakthrough. The actor played Wai Lin, a Chinese spy who is highly skilled in marital arts and bucks every “damsel in distress” and “Bond girl” stereotype. “The first movie I did after I came to America was ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ with Pierce Brosnan,” Yeoh recently told People magazine. “James Bond at that point had only been known as macho, and the girls were just the ones with cutesy names.”

Tim Gray Senior Vice President This year, all the Oscar-contending directors are nominated for original screenplay: the Daniels (Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert), Todd Field, Martin McDonagh, Ruben Östlund and Steven Spielberg (writing with Tony Kushner). This is the first time it’s happened in AMPAS history.  The only year that came close was 2017, when all five helmers had written or co-written their scripts, though they didn’t all get writing noms. So here’s Film History 101. In Hollywood lore, Preston Sturges is often credited as the first scribe to become a hyphenate, as writer-director of the 1940 “The Great McGinty.” But as with all Hollywood “facts,” there is only an element of truth here.

KOZ Entertainment will be debuting its first K-pop boyband in the coming months.On February 28, SpoTV News reported that a new boy band produced by Block B rapper, producer and KOZ Entertainment founder Zico would be making their debut this May. In response to reports, representatives the K-pop label shared that it is indeed “gearing up for [the boy group’s debut in] the first half of this year,” as translated by Soompi.However, KOZ did not confirm nor deny SpoTV News’ claims that the forthcoming act is scheduled to debut in May, instead saying: “The exact debut date will be revealed after it is confirmed.”Zico had previously teased the upcoming act during HYBE’s 2022 briefing.

The latest entry in the Pokémon franchise is coming.

Despite the injury doubts in the week leading up to the Viaplay Cup Final, Michael Beale reverted to what he knew for his team selection.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” held on to top spot at the South Korean box office. But the overall market continued to soften despite a slew of new release titles. Nationwide theatrical grosses totaled just $7.26 million. That made it the slowest box office weekend in over three months. “Quantumania” collected $2.0 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic), and enjoyed a 27% market share. The second weekend increment lifted its 12-day total to $10.6 million. Long-running Japanese animation title, “The First Slam Dunk” earned $1.36 million in its eighth weekend on release. Since Jan. 4 it has accumulated $28.0 million.

What Priscilla So and Brian Hung don’t know about beer probably isn’t worth knowing. So Priscilla has exactly the beer in mind to go with the Hong Kong-style french toast they serve at Harcourt, their new pub in Altrincham.

Bandai Namco is set to open a new arcade in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, taking over a building previously occupied by Sega.The new arcade, set to open on March 1, will be situated in the same building that previously housed the popular Sega Akihabara Arcade 4. After Sega sold off many of its arcades in 2020 due to a downturn in the COVID pandemic, many either closed or rebranded to GiGO, owned by new buyer Genda.According to TechRaptor, the Bandai Namco arcade will feature a variety of arcade machines including rhythm title Taiko No Tatsujin and Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs.

Japanese Breakfast has caused a stir online by sharing her controversial thoughts on The Beatles‘ seminal seventh album ‘Revolver’.Released back in 1966, the record is widely regarded as the Fab Four’s best full-length project. Using cutting edge studio technology, the LP is one of the most innovative pop records ever made.Taking to Twitter last Sunday (February 19), Japanese Breakfast – real name Michelle Zauner – claimed that “‘Revolver’ is the ‘Tusk’ of Beatles albums”, referring to Fleetwood Mac‘s experimental 1979 follow-up to ‘Rumours’.“I’m not saying either of these albums are bad!” Zauner clarified in a follow-up tweet.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Two of Japan’s leading video streaming services are to merge, it was announced late last week, creating the largest local company in the market. Current number two player U-Next is to absorb Premium Platform Japan, a company which operates the Paravi streaming platform. The combined company is estimated to have some 3.7 million subscribers and revenues exceeding JPY800 billion ($594 million) per year. Integration of the two operations could begin as soon as July, local media reported. That would allow U-Next subscribers to access Paravi’s content, much of which is re-runs from conventional TV broadcasters. Premium Platform Japan is substantially owned by TBS Holdings and TV Tokyo.

Naman Ramachandran Classic cult film streamer Cultpix has struck a 31-film deal from three immensely popular franchises with Japan’s Kadokawa Daiei Studio at Berlin’s ongoing European Film Market (EFM). The deal includes 20 Zatoichi films, eight Gamera films and three Daimajin films. The deal is for the Nordic countries initially, but the aim is for wider distribution eventually. In addition, timed with Nikkatsu’s 50th anniversary of their “Roman Poruno” films, Cultpix rediscovered six previously virtually unknown Nikkatsu productions, shot in Sweden between 1971-1973, with everything Japanese apart from the actors and the locations. The screenwriter, director and behind-the-camera talent were all flown in from Japan. The films were to emulate the popular “Swedish sin” films of the time, as there was a market need for them in Japan.

Kate Hudson’s wedding plans are a little different than usual.

Daft Punk video creator and manga artist Leiji Matsumoto has died, aged 85.Matsumoto, who worked on the videos for 2000 hit ‘One More Time’, ‘Digital Love’ and ‘Aerodynamic’, passed away last week (February 13) due to acute heart failure.He also worked with duo on their film Interstella 5555: The 5story of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem.In a statement, his daughter Makiko Matsumoto wrote: “Manga artist Leiji Matsumoto departed for the sea of stars at a hospital in Tokyo on February 13, 2023 at the age of 85.“The farewell ceremony has already been held with close relatives. I think it was a happy life.”Matsumoto (real name Akira Matsumoto) was also heavily involved in the manga and anime art and film worlds and was best known for his work in creating TV series Space Battleship Yamato and 1979 film Galaxy Express 999.Writer Zack Davisson, who had previously worked with Matsumoto, paid tribute to the late artist.He wrote: “Leiji Matsumo’s work was the foundation of what we know as ‘anime/manga fandom,’ in both the US and Japan.

The Japanese House has suggested new music is on the way.The singer-songwriter, real name Amber Bain, posted a photo of herself on Instagram with the caption ‘News coming soon’, directing fans to sign up to her mailing list to hear it first.The Japanese House last released new music in 2020 in the form of the EP ‘Chewing Cotton Wool’. Her only studio album so far, ‘Good At Falling’, came out the year prior.A post shared by The Japanese House (@thejapanesehouse)The announcement comes off the back of the news that she is set to appear at The 1975‘s biggest ever UK headline show at London’s Finsbury Park, with a capacity of over 40,000, on July 2.

Anyone who likes to get out into nature for a springtime walk has been warned to look out for a highly invasive weed.