K5 Intl. Boards ‘Ravens,’ Starring Emmy-Nominated Actor Tadanobu Asano

K5 Intl. has taken the reins for worldwide sales of the feature film “Ravens,” featuring Tadanobu Asano, who received an Emmy nomination for “Shōgun,” and Kumi Takuichi.

The film is helmed by Mark Gill, known for the Morrissey biographical film “England Is Mine” (2017) and the short film “The Voorman Problem” (2011), which garnered both Oscar and BAFTA nominations.

“Ravens” will be showcased by K5 Intl. at a special screening at the Toronto Film Festival, with its world premiere scheduled for the Austin Film Festival at the end of October, as exclusively reported by Variety.

This film explores the complex love triangle involving Japanese photographer Masahisa Fukase, his model and wife Yoko, and Fukase’s art, represented as an eight-foot talking raven. The film is described as a blend of tenderness, mischief, and emotional depth, illustrating the highs and lows of a life devoted to art.

The production involves multiple entities including Vestapol, Ark Entertainment, Minded Factory, Katsize Films, and The Y House Films, in association with Teamo Production HQ LTD (TPHQ) and Townhouse Media Filmworks. Producers for the film include Orian Williams, Cyril Cadars, Megumi Fukasawa Ishii, Mark Gill, Hideki Kawamura, Hiroyasu Nagata, David Barrera, Johanna Horn, Mohaan Naader, Nitsa Benchetrit, Henry Gillet, and Sam Fayed.

Daniel Baur, CEO of K5 Intl., stated, “Tadanobu Asano and Kumi Takiuchi deliver an enigmatic performance that brings this powerful, tragic, and eternal love story of Masahisa and Yoko back to life. We are thrilled to be working with the exceptionally talented director Mark Gill and bringing his movie to audiences worldwide.”

Mark Gill shared his inspiration for the film, stating, “The first time I saw Fukase’s photographs, I sensed the presence of genius and felt a hunger to discover the man behind the camera. I soon realized Fukase’s story was intertwined with that of Yoko, his wife, collaborator, and survivor. I don’t call her a muse – she was more active than passive, and the film is her story, too.”

He added, “The challenge was whether I, a Japanophile Brit, could recreate these lives and the postwar Shōwa art scene they inhabited. Maybe my outsider’s perspective could offer an objectivity to balance my foreignness.”

Reflecting on the production, he said, “When I succeeded with these challenges, I had to thank the cast and crew who guided my decisions and enriched the project with what I can only call love. Making ‘Ravens’ during a Tokyo summer was the most magical experience, and I am immensely proud of what we created together.”

Tadanobu Asano is widely recognized for his role in FX’s “Shōgun,” as well as his roles in Marvel’s “Thor” trilogy, “Harmonium” – which won the Cannes Un Certain Regard jury prize in 2016, and the cult classic “Ichi the Killer” (2001).

Kumi Takiuchi, who portrays Yoko in “Ravens,” is known for her performance in “A Balance,” which won the New Currents Award for best film at the Busan International Film Festival in 2020.

“Ravens” is scheduled for general release in Japan in March 2025 by Ark Entertainment, and in France for the spring of 2025.

K5 Intl. was relaunched by Daniel Baur with a new team last year. The first project on its fresh slate is Kevin Costner’s “Horizon: An American Saga.” The first chapter premiered in Cannes and was released by Warner Bros./New Line this summer. The sequel, “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2,” will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday.

Source: Variety