Netflix is deepening deals with hit Japanese director Hitoshi One. The streamer revealed on Monday that it had signed a five-year exclusive deal with the director, whose most recent project, The crooks of Tokyobecame an international phenomenon over the summer. Under the agreement, Netflix will exclusively produce and distribute One's series and films for the next half-decade.
The crooks of Tokyo debuted on Netflix in July and ranked in the platform's top 10 worldwide for non-English TV for five consecutive weeks. In Japan, a market that Netflix has aggressively courted, it held the top spot among all TV series for six consecutive weeks.
“Mr. Uno has generously demonstrated his creative talent The crooks of Tokyoan emotional story with quirky characters full of humanity,” said Kaata Sakamoto, head of content at Netflix in Japan.
A flashy, over-the-top heist saga, the show follows a team of real estate scammers – including stars Go Ayano, Etsushi Toyokawa and Kazuki Kitamura – as they try to pull off their biggest heist yet after uncovering an important piece. property worth 10 billion yen.
Hitoshi One made his directorial debut in 2011 with a well-received film adaptation of the bestselling manga, Moteki. The film earned him the “Most Popular Title” award at the 35th Japan Academy Awards. Other career highlights include the hit coming-of-age comedy Bakuman. Adapted from a manga of the same name, the film won the award for best director at the 39th Japan Academy Awards. On the small screen, he won first prize in the TV category at Japan's 60th Galaxy Awards – a ceremony organized by Japan's Broadcast Critics Association – for the 2020 TV drama Fuji Elpis: hope or disasterum.
“Two weeks later The crooks of Tokyo started streaming, I received an offer from Netflix for an exclusive contract. I was surprised at how quickly I responded, but I realized that I was attracted to the medium of distribution, a genre that is not yet as established as cinema and television dramas,” One said in a statement.
He continued: “The high level of awareness towards cinema from the Netflix staff, who I first worked with on Tokyo Swindlers, and the ideal creative environment they presented, which I had never experienced before in film or television series, have left a strong impression. I am very excited about the new projects and productions I will create with Netflix.”
In recent years, Netflix has steadily developed its Japanese live-action pipeline, expanding beyond the bankable anime category that served as Tokyo's first local content emphasis. Next to The crooks of Tokyoother hit Netflix titles coming out of Japan this year include action hits City hunter AND Home of the Ninjaas well as the success of the reality series The boyfriend. This year is yet to come Beyond goodbyea romantic series inspired by a true story experienced by Netflix executive producer Makiko Okano. The title will premiere next month at the Busan International Film Festival.