Warner Bros. to make Japanese movies

Hollywood motion picture company Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. is set to start making Japanese movies, starting with a samurai tale starring Koji Yakusho of "Shall We Dance?" fame.

Warner's first Japanese movie will be a screen adaptation of Shoichiro Ikemiya's novel titled "Saigo no Chushingura." It will be directed by Shigemichi Sugita. Shooting will start Sunday in Kyoto.

Warner Bros., which in 2007 launched a local production division dedicated to making Japanese movies, plans to make three movies next year.

The move reflects the declining popularity of Hollywood movies among Japanese audiences in recent years. Last year, 59.5 percent of the country's box office revenue was from Japanese movies, and 40.5 percent was from foreign movies.

Other major U.S. movie companies, Sony Pictures Entertainment and 20th Century Fox, have also started making Japanese movies.(IHT/Asahi: November 5,2009)