Sony is accelerating its pursuit of anime and manga properties for live-action adaptations, and Shebnem Askin, executive vice president and head of creative production at Sony Pictures International Productions, revealed ambitious plans to expand beyond the studio’s hit Kingdom series during a presentation at TIFFCOM, the market division of the Tokyo International Film Festival.
“Since I’ve been here, I’ve had a lot of great meetings with a lot of companies that are creating great stories in anime,” Askin told Tokyo Content Market attendees. “We are starting to look at different animated films that can be adapted as live-action films, hopefully around the world. This is one of our missions by joining TIFFCOM.”
SPIP operates as one of nine labels under Sony Pictures Entertainment and produces local language content in 10 countries including Japan, South Korea, China, India, Thailand, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Brazil and Mexico.
Askin emphasized that SPIP’s anime-to-live-action efforts will complement Sony’s broader anime business, which includes Crunchyroll and Aniplex. She cited recent successes such as “Demon Slayer,” which became the world’s highest-grossing Japanese film in 2025, and “Chainsaw Man,” which grossed $100 million worldwide last weekend.
“It doesn’t really matter what department we all work in at Sony; I’m just as proud whether it’s our production or not,” Askin said, emphasizing the studio’s collaborative approach across departments.
To date, SPIP’s only live-action manga adaptation is the Kingdom series, which is based on a Japanese manga. Askin also emphasized that Mamoru Hosoda’s new film Scarlet, which is scheduled to be released in Japan in November, is an original animated film, not an adaptation.
The studio’s anime ambitions are part of a broader IP strategy in which SPIP is developing a robust business model centered around both original content and strategic remakes. Mr. Askin presented a convincing case for the strength of local films around the world, noting that local films account for 76% of Japan’s box office, 61% of the Korean market and 89% of India’s theatrical business.
“Local films from around the world have the potential to make as much money at the box office as big commercial films from Hollywood,” Askin said. “We don’t just think local, we become local everywhere.”
The studio has had three successful theatrical series: Germany’s “The Three Investigators” series based on children’s books, Spain’s “Father is the Only One” remake series and Japan’s “Kingdom.” Spain’s Father series, based on the Argentinian film “Ten Days Without Mother,” has so far produced five films, with the latest entry starting at $16 million, compared to 2022’s Top Gun: Mavericks, which had a starting entry of $10 million.
SPIP’s IP development approach selectively captures and remakes proven properties, prioritizing original content. Recent original productions include “Hijack 1971,” a South Korean thriller based on the true story of a 1971 plane hijacking to North Korea, and “The Night Shift,” a Mexican genre film that became the highest-grossing Mexican genre film of the past decade.
For the remake, the studio deployed a multi-territory strategy, producing local versions of Sony titles such as “50 First Dates” (Japan and Mexico), “Friends with Benefits” (Brazil and HBO Latin America) and “From Date to Funeral” (Spain). Askin revealed that a Mexican version of “Shall We Dance?” has been produced. It is currently in post-production in collaboration with Sony Music Vision, starring Mexico’s biggest comedic actor Adrian Uribe.
“We have creative approval,” Askin explained of the green light process. “Every film needs a profit and loss statement. If we love the project creatively, we love the script, we love the cast, we love the producers. We get a theatrical quote from the local managing director and a TV valuation from Sony’s international sales team. We need at least five signatures before we greenlight a film.”
The studio will also acquire select distribution properties, including “YOLO” and “The Legend of the Condor,” for which SPIP has secured all rights outside China. The Brazilian drama “I’m Still Here” exemplifies Sony’s collaborative approach, with SPIP acquiring the film for Brazil and Sony Classics acquiring the film for North America, grossing $5 million compared to $20 million at home.
To meet the challenge of cultural adaptation, Askin acknowledged relying on his international sales background while emphasizing collaboration with local partners. “I never think I know Italy better than an Italian producer or that I know Germany better than a German producer,” she said. “Adapting IP from one country to another is truly a team effort.”
SPIP has traditionally focused on comedies and romantic comedies, genres that have been considered difficult to export internationally, but the recent success of Argentine melodrama The Heart Knows on Netflix has opened the door to more dramatic content. The film, about a wealthy man who receives a heart transplant from a poor factory worker and then falls in love with the donor’s widow, has been ranked in Netflix’s top 25 worldwide for six months.
“It shows that good drama definitely has a global audience,” Askin said, adding that he is currently developing an action comedy, but “it’s really hard to find that.”
In response to a question about streaming platforms, Askin emphasized that while SPIP remains focused on theatrical distribution, it views streamers as complementary partners rather than competitors. Over the past three years, the division has distributed 11 direct-streaming movies for Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Max in Mexico.
“We’re a theatrical studio, so our biggest mission is to make theatrical films,” Askin said. “Even in our conversations with streamers, what they really expect from us is to make great theatrical films that bring in box office revenue. I don’t think these things are at odds with each other, but they complement each other.”
The presentation comes as Sony expands its partnership in Japan, but Askin declined to provide specific details about the latest deal. “We are confident that any intellectual property acquired by our studio will come to our attention,” she said.
Meanwhile, the studio’s distribution of Chinese films was recognized at the Shanghai International Film Festival, where Sony was recognized as the world’s best distributor of Chinese films following the release of “YOLO” and “The Legend of the Condor.”
As SPIP continues to build on its foundation, Askin emphasized that authentic local storytelling takes precedence over purely commercial considerations. “I believe the most powerful films are the ones that are truly original and the stories that truly come from that country,” she told an audience member who asked about Taiwan. “In every country in the world, there are always events or incidents in the country’s recent or ancient history that move everyone. So whether it’s Taiwan or another country, if it’s a true cinematic experience, we’re very open to developing original films.”
The presentation was held at the 22nd TIFFCOM, which ends on October 31st, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center Hamamatsucho Hall during the Tokyo International Film Festival.
