Asian Cinema News

According to rumor, Miramax Films has plans to butcher Hong Kong’s highest ever grossing film for its American release. The action/comedy Shoalin Soccer will reportedly be re-titled “Kung Fu Soccer,” have over 20 minutes of footage removed and have its original musical score replaced with American urban/rap music for its American release from Miramax.

Korean J-pop star BoA (not to be confused with the British group of the same name that performed the opening theme for Serial Experiments Lain), will play the role of Natsuki Mogi, Takumi Fujiwara’s girlfriend, in the live-action Initial D movie. Japanese entertainment label Avex is both the owner of the Initial D animation and BoA’s record label.

The successful Japanese horror film from 2000, Another Heaven, will be the first Japanese horror film released in America by Fangoria magazine. The film, written and directed by Jouji Iida, the director of Spiral (one of the sequels to The Ring), will premier on American subtitled-only VHS and DVD in July.

The popular new-wave ninja/action film Red Shadow (Aka Kage) from last year will premier on Japanese Region 2 special edition DVD with optional English subtitles on April 21st.

Although Hideo (Ring, Ring 2) Nakata’s latest supernatural suspense film, Honogurai Mizu No Soko Kara, just opened in Japanese theaters this week, rights to produce an American remake have already been secured. According to Kung Fu Cult Cinema, Fox has obtained the American re-make rights. According to Ain’t It Cool News, it is Disney’s Dimension Films that has licensed the re-make rights.

Source: Kung Fu Cult Cinema