A vital market for the global streaming industry’s expansion, Japan, has been chosen by Netflix as the location for its upcoming high-budget film. Yuji Sakamoto, a seasoned drama screenwriter, has had his tense rom-com romp In Love and Deep Water approved by the studio (Tokyo Love Story, Kadin). For the Japanese film business, Sakamoto calls the project “a romantic comedy produced on an unparalleled scale.”
The local production for Netflix will be handled by Nikkatsu and Django Film under the direction of Yusuke Taki.
The MSC Bellissima, a sizable luxury cruise ship bound for the Aegean Sea, is where In Love and Deep Water takes place. Suguru, the Bellissima’s devoted butler, and Chizuru, a mysterious woman, meet while at sea as they work to solve a terrible murder-mystery that happens early in the journey.
Suguru is portrayed by Ryo Yoshizawa (Sakura, Kingdom), while Chizuru is portrayed by Aoi Miyazaki (Future Family, Birthday Card). Aju Makita plays Shiori, the daughter of a yakuza boss, Yoh Yoshida plays the recently appointed captain Hatsumi, Rinko Kikuchi plays an unfaithful film producer named Aina, Kento Nagayama plays Shintaro, a young actor who wants to appear in a movie shown at Cannes Film Festival, Yuki Izumisawa plays Ryuki, a former yakuza member, Hatsunori Hasegawa plays Sohei, Young celebrities Yunho, who plays the housekeeper’s son Kanato, and Rumika Ogai, who plays Misaki and Michihiko’s daughter, will also make further cameos.
According to a survey by local research company Media Partners Asia, there were 48.4 million members to subscription streaming services in Japan at the end of the first quarter of 2022, with Netflix and Amazon Prime Video accounting for roughly half of the market. Since its local introduction approximately two years ago, Disney+ has also been steadily gaining popularity in Japan, although it still behind Netflix and Amazon, both of which made their debuts in the country years earlier, by a considerable margin.
