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chachava 05-19-2008 01:33 PM

movies in Japan
 
why are they released here so late compared to other countries?

I noticed EVERY COUNTRY has Ironman already (even China, Korea and Singapore!)... Japan is released 20th September

Seems to be usual but anyone know why that is? Japan is always the final place (often by several months) to get anything

SSJup81 05-19-2008 08:07 PM

Are the movies in the other countries mentioned subtitled as opposed to dubbed? Maybe subtitles are easier and faster to put out as opposed to dubbing a movie.

tommasi 05-19-2008 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chachava (Post 492556)
why are they released here so late compared to other countries?

I noticed EVERY COUNTRY has Ironman already (even China, Korea and Singapore!)... Japan is released 20th September

Seems to be usual but anyone know why that is? Japan is always the final place (often by several months) to get anything

I think this is because Japan is not a test market.

Production companies usually wait until movies are sure hit, and then take it to Japan.

Japan is one of the most profitable market for big hit movies but the marketing and all other stuff costs money.

So that's why they make sure to only bring blockbuster movies.

MMM 05-19-2008 09:45 PM

It's a lot better now than it used to be. I had friends send me video of movies that came out on video before they came out in Japan (often a year later than the American release). This was in the mid-90s.

chachava 05-20-2008 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommasi (Post 493040)
I think this is because Japan is not a test market.

Production companies usually wait until movies are sure hit, and then take it to Japan.

Japan is one of the most profitable market for big hit movies but the marketing and all other stuff costs money.

So that's why they make sure to only bring blockbuster movies.


So every other country in the world is a 'test market' getting a movie ready for Japan :confused:

Surely that isn't the reason :confused:

chachava 05-20-2008 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SSJup81 (Post 492995)
Are the movies in the other countries mentioned subtitled as opposed to dubbed? Maybe subtitles are easier and faster to put out as opposed to dubbing a movie.

They are subbed everywhere

MMM 05-20-2008 01:08 AM

Most movies make it to Japan, and the Japanese entertainment media is very kind to Western movies that flopped state-side. Indy movies make it to Japan too. The semi-pornographic "Brown Bunny" was a flop at Cannes (I think) and never got an American release, but was a minor hit in Japan. Japanese are pretty cinema-saavy with a long film-making tradition of their own, and movies big and small get releases.

okuyukashiibeppin 05-20-2008 01:34 AM

I don't know the true reason.... But save the best for last~! :pandahurray:

tommasi 05-20-2008 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chachava (Post 493230)
So every other country in the world is a 'test market' getting a movie ready for Japan :confused:

Surely that isn't the reason :confused:

I didn't say every other country in the world is a test market for Japan.

But Japan is not a test market that's all I'm saying.

Distributors are probably thinking, why not wait and see whether the movie does well in the US or in other markets.

It reflects on the fact that Japan is a risk adverse society.

Also, marketers in Japan like using the external hype to create demand domestically.

Just like Abercrombie & Fitch and H&M are about to enter the Japanese market and there's a reason why they chose no to enter Japan earlier.

They have tested and created enough hype so that the entry to the market would be successful one.

MMM 05-20-2008 02:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommasi (Post 493293)
I didn't say every other country in the world is a test market for Japan.

But Japan is not a test market that's all I'm saying.

Distributors are probably thinking, why not wait and see whether the movie does well in the US or in other markets.

It reflects on the fact that Japan is a risk adverse society.

Also, marketers in Japan like using the external hype to create demand domestically.

Just like Abercrombie & Fitch and H&M are about to enter the Japanese market and there's a reason why they chose no to enter Japan earlier.

They have tested and created enough hype so that the entry to the market would be successful one.

Despite Chachava's complaint, Japan gets a lot of movies at the same time as America, or soon after. And how a movie does in the US has no bearing on whether or not it will be marketed in Japan. The Japanese media NEVER reports that a movie flopped in the US, and I imagine movies like Leatherheads and Speed Racer will get huge publicity in Japan despite the fact both movies are flopping in the US. I am sure George Clooney will be at the Tokyo premiere, as well.


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