Japanese publishing giant Kodansha announced on November 4 that it has partnered with Academy Award-winning director Chloé Zhao and producer Nicolas Gonda to establish Kodansha Studios, a new production company based in Hollywood. This marks Kodansha’s first-ever production studio in Hollywood, with the goal of expanding global live-action adaptations of its manga and novels.

Chloé Zhao will serve as Chief Creative Officer, overseeing planning and creative direction, while Nicolas Gonda, known for his extensive work in film and television, will serve as Chief Operating Officer. Kodansha’s Executive Managing Director Hiroaki Morita will assume the role of CEO. Through this new studio, Kodansha aims to take a more active role in international film and television productions based on its Japanese intellectual properties (IPs).

At the official press conference for the studio’s establishment held in Tokyo, Kodansha President Yoshinobu Noma, Chloé Zhao—known for writing, editing, producing, and directing Nomadland, which won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress at the 93rd Academy Awards—and producer Nicolas Gonda, co-founder of Book of Shadows with Zhao, appeared on stage.

Opening the event, Noma said:
“Today, Kodansha officially launched Kodansha Studios, based in Los Angeles, a company dedicated to producing films centered in Hollywood. Our partners are the wonderful Chloé Zhao and Nicolas Gonda of Book of Shadows. Through this studio, we hope to bring a wide variety of Japanese IPs to the world in the form of Hollywood films and beyond.”

Zhao followed:
“I’m truly excited and honored to be part of this. I’ve loved Japanese manga and anime deeply since childhood, and it’s a privilege to have this opportunity.”

Gonda added:
“It’s an incredible honor to collaborate with Kodansha, a company that has cultivated and maintained exceptional creativity for over a century.”

When asked about the motivation behind the studio, Noma explained:
“Kodansha has long created countless stories and, in recent years, has actively expanded its IP globally. With the growing popularity of Japanese entertainment content worldwide, we’ve received many proposals for live-action adaptations from outside Japan. However, we also faced various challenges in this process.”

He continued:
“In the past, Japanese IP rights were handed over to foreign companies, leaving production and promotion entirely in their hands. With Kodansha Studios, we can now participate deeply in those processes—spreading Japanese IPs and creators to the world while collaborating with brilliant international talents to spark creative chemistry and new forms of content.”

Noma and Zhao first met about two and a half years ago in Los Angeles, quickly bonding over their shared love for manga and anime. Zhao expressed interest in producing anime as well, to which Noma replied, “Let’s create both live-action and anime together.”

“When she said, ‘That’s impossible,’ I reminded her of Kodansha’s English slogan—‘Inspire Impossible Stories’—and said, ‘We’re here to make impossible stories.’ She loved that,” Noma recalled. “Since then, we’ve built a strong relationship of trust.”

Zhao outlined three guiding principles for Kodansha Studios:
“First, to be a bridge between East and West, fostering mutual cultural understanding. Second, to serve as a ‘garden’—a safe place where creators, stories, and ideas can grow freely and be protected from external pressures. I hope Japanese and international creators can nurture strong roots there and flourish together. Third, I was deeply inspired by President Noma’s courage when we met. He boldly pursues what seems impossible, so I nicknamed him ‘Mr. Impossible.’ I want to bring that fearless spirit to Kodansha Studios.”

As for the studio’s broader impact, Zhao said:
“We’ve seen many challenges in adapting works for film, often rooted in a lack of mutual understanding between Eastern and Western cultures. Yet both sides are drawn to each other. Civilization itself thrives on such exchanges. If Kodansha Studios can serve as a ‘garden’ to connect cultures and stories—turning the impossible into reality—that excites me deeply.”

She continued, “Hollywood will also be influenced by this change. Until now, it often reinterpreted foreign IPs freely. But from now on, listening to the original creators and collaborating with them to produce works closer to their vision will be a healthier and more respectful approach for Hollywood.”

Noma concluded, “As Chloé mentioned, we’re fortunate to have strong partners in Book of Shadows. Our mission is to bring Japan’s many lesser-known IPs to the global stage. We hope collaborations between Japanese creators—such as manga artists and writers—and international filmmakers, actors, and artists will give rise to new forms of storytelling and expression.”

Source : ORICON NEWS