A captivating murder mystery based on an award-winning Japanese crime novel is at the center of an upcoming six-part series in the much-talked-about US-Japan co-production Aozawa Murder Case, which goes on sale at Rome’s MIA market this week. It becomes.
The show, based on the novel of the same name by Japanese author Riku Onda, is produced by Upgrade Productions, a Los Angeles-based company launched in 2021 by former Sierra/Affinity president Kier and former Disney+ and Netflix executive Matt. Produced by Jonathan Kier. Mr. Brodley and Takeo Kodera of Japanese publisher and media giant KADOKAWA.
The series begins in 2004, with Yuko, a freelance writer, arriving in the picturesque coastal city of Kanazawa to investigate the infamous 1973 “Aosawa Incident” mass poisoning. In this incident, 17 members of the wealthy Aozawa family died after drinking poisoned alcohol and soft drinks. during family celebrations.
There, she meets Makiko Saiga, the secret author of the book “Forgotten Festival”, which is based on a murder case. But when the writer reveals little about this infamous case, Yuko decides to delve into the past herself and search for the elusive Hisako Aosawa (as a blind 12-year-old girl, the only surviving family member from the case). I hope to shed light on a dark episode whose mystery only deepens the more I dig into it.
First published in Japan in 2005 and winning the Japan Mystery Writers Award for Best Novel, The Aosawa Murder Case was published in 2020 to rave reviews from critics, and when it was published in 2020, Kier, who read the English translation, was immediately intrigued. Fascinated.
The series is based on Riku Onda’s best-selling novel.
Provided by Upgrade Productions
The veteran producer said he was drawn to Onda’s evocation of the “beautiful,” “mystical” and gloomy region in which the story takes place. He likened the place to the Pacific Northwest or the Maine coast (noting that Onda was aptly described as a “Japanese Stephen King”). The book also opened the door to a collaboration with his long-time friend and business associate Takeo Kodera. Takeo Kodera Takeo Kodera’s novel is copyrighted by Kadokawa Shoten.
“We talked about finding ways to work together and finding something we could do in Japanese,” Kia said. As Mr. Kodera and his colleagues at a major publishing company are increasingly considering translating the catalog into English, Mr. Kier asked his Japanese counterpart if the company would be interested in co-producing the program.
The series’ intricately crafted narrative, described by a New York Times critic as “stubbornly non-linear novels” when it was included in a list of the best books of 2020, spans six episodes. , time travels back and forth while Yuko tries to figure it out. The mystery of mass poisoning. The show is written by Naoko Adachi, who Kier described as “one of Japan’s greatest television writers.”
“Working with her was really great,” he said. “We are all Japanese creatives and want to bring an international perspective to the development process.”
This has been the core principle of Upgrade Productions since it was founded in 2021 with the support of German powerhouse Konstantin Film, and aims to develop and produce premium local language productions for audiences around the world .
“We have been looking for projects that we think are also internationally accessible, so if they are produced in our home country and the work is produced… we are willing to work with local producers. , making it accessible to a global audience,” Brodley said. Regarding the “Aosawa Murder Case,” he added the following. And people know it. ”
The pair said the crime drama could also get a boost from the dramatic success of FX’s blockbuster Shogun, set in feudal Japan. The film was a hit with critics and broke records at this year’s Emmy Awards, winning 18 awards.
“It was really validation for ‘Shogun’ to perform so well at the Emmys,” said Kier. “It’s great to see a work like that be so successful. It bodes well for ‘Aosawa’ and other Japanese projects we’re working on.”
MIA Market will be held in Rome from October 14th to 18th.
