Japanese film maker to invest here

Database News : Thursday December 06, 2007

ANIMATION

Japanese film maker to invest here

SASIWIMON BOONRUANG

Japanese-based Wedge Holdings is planning a joint venture with Thai film-makers and music companies to adapt plots from Japanese animations and translate them into Thai versions for the global market.

"Thai movies have a high level of creativity, and so does Thai animation," said Masafumi Fukui, Wedge Holdings president. Japanese animation was popular in the global market, while Thai movies were accepted well; both strengths made a good combination, he said.

Fukui said the company planned to use Thailand as a production base for Thai-style animations to enter the Asean market. Wedge would invest some 30 million baht a movie, he said, adding the company had talked to Kantana and some other Thai film-makers.

Wedge focusses on the entertainment business including movies, music, DVDs, animation, mobile content and merchandising.

"This kind of model has been successful for "Speed Laser" in the USA and thus we would like to do it here in Thailand with a Japanese animation plot presented in a Thai movie," he said.

Fujui unveiled a business plan that the company, through a joint-venture, would start with movies and music and then would expand to other areas.

The company aims to do two movies next year and will export them.

"This is the first time we will do this in Thailand," he said, adding that he had seen Thai movies and knew that they had a high potential.

By : Bangkok Post