Amazon MGM Studios Japan announced plans to increase its investment in homegrown productions during a panel discussion at the Tokyo International Film Festival’s TIFFCOM market. Buddy Marini, who became head of the Japan studio in March, outlined the company’s strategy to expand Japanese content into global markets. The studio focuses on developing films, television series, and anime with broad appeal across multiple genres and viewer demographics.
Marini emphasized that Amazon’s approach differs from competitors by offering various benefits to Prime members alongside film and television content. He stated the studio’s primary goal remains satisfying audiences in their specific regions while leveraging the platform’s global reach. To achieve higher production standards that resonate internationally, Marini noted the importance of a reverse-engineering process where creative teams and screenwriters collaborate to develop compelling narratives from a worldwide perspective. Upcoming projects include live-action adaptations of “The Apothecary Diaries” and “Bless,” while past successes include the series “The Silent Service.”
Also participating in the discussion were producer Matsuhashi Shinzo and Steven Maeda, executive producer of the Netflix live-action “One Piece” series. Matsuhashi detailed his approach to production, emphasizing that successful projects require a compelling story, strong script, experienced director and crew, and an excellent cast working in concert. His production company, Credeus, has accumulated over JPY100 billion in cumulative box office revenue, with major successes including the “Kingdom” film franchise. Matsuhashi discussed his early work with Sony Pictures and the importance of establishing success-based compensation models for producers in Japan.
Maeda’s credits include work on prominent international productions such as “Lost” and “The X-Files,” and he is currently adapting the graphic novel “Monstress” for Amazon Prime Video. The panel discussion, organized by the Motion Picture Association and UniJapan, explored strategies for positioning Japanese intellectual property for international audiences and the production practices that support such expansion efforts.
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