K5 Intl. has joined the worldwide sales of the feature film “Ravens,” starring Tadanobu Asano, Emmy nominee for his role in “Shōgun,” and Kumi Takeichi.
The film is directed by Mark Gill, known for Morrissey's England Is Mine (2017) and the Oscar- and BAFTA-nominated short film The Foreman's Problem (2011).
K5 Intl. will present “Ravens” at a special screening at the Toronto Film Festival, and the film will also have its world premiere at the Austin Film Festival in late October. diverse Exclusively announced.
The film depicts the turbulent love triangle between rebellious Japanese photographer Masahisa Fukase, his model and wife Yuko, and “Art” Fukase, who is embodied as an eight-foot-tall talking crow. According to a statement from the company, “The Crow” charts the highs, lows and collateral damage of a life devoted to art.
The film is produced by Vestapol, Ark Entertainment, Minded Factory, Katsize Films and The Y House Films in association with Teamo Production HQ LTD (TPHQ) and Townhouse Media Filmworks. The producers are Orian Williams, Cyril Cadars, Megumi Fukasawa Ishii, Gill, Hideki Kawamura, Hiroyasu Nagata, David Barrera, Johanna Horn, Mohaan Naader, Nitsa Benchetrit, Henry Gillet and Sam Fayed.
“Tadanobu Asano and Kumi Takeuchi deliver enigmatic performances that bring the powerful, tragic and eternal love story between Masahisa and Yuko to life,” said Daniel Bauer, CEO of K5 Intl. “We are thrilled to work with the immensely talented director Mark Gill and bring his film to audiences around the world.”
“The first time I saw Fukase’s photographs, I felt a genius and felt a desire to discover the man behind the camera,” Jill said. “I quickly realized that Fukase’s story was intertwined with that of Yoko, his wife, colleague, and survivor. (I don’t consider her a muse—she was more active than passive, and the film is her story, too.)
“But can I, as a British Japanophile, recreate this life and the Shōwa art scene they lived in after the war? Might my outsider's eyes provide me with a measure of objectivity that compensates for my being a foreigner?
“When I am able to overcome these challenges, I thank the crew and actors who guided me in making decisions and enriched the project with what I call love. Making Ravens in the oven of Tokyo summer was such a magical experience, and I am so proud of what we created together.”
In addition to his performances in the FX series “Shōgun,” Asano is known for his roles in Marvel's “Thor” trilogy, the 2016 Cannes Jury Prize-winning “Harmonium,” and the cult classic “Ichi the Killer” (2001).
Takeuchi, who plays Yuko in “Ravens,” appeared in “A Balance,” which won the New Currents Award for Best Film at the 2020 Busan Film Festival.
“Ravens” is scheduled to be released in Japan in March 2025 by Ark Entertainment, and in France in spring 2025.
K5 Intl. was relaunched by Baur with a new team last year. The first project on its new slate is Kevin Costner’s “Horizon: An American Saga.” The first chapter premiered at Cannes and was released by Warner Bros./New Line this summer. “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2” will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday.
