by Through its current local studio in Japan, Warner Bros. Discovery plans to dramatically increase its investment in and production of Japanese animation.
James Gibbons, president of WBD for Asia-Pacific, stated, “We have a Japanese anime studio, which has been producing five or ten anime series per year over the last few years.” “Expansion to more than ten series annually has been approved.”
Since opening for business in 2011, the company has produced more than 80 titles, including a variety of excellent live-action programs, movies, and animation. These include the animated series “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure,” which debuted in 2012, the “Record of Ragnarok” series, and an anime film based on the comic book character “Batman Ninja.” “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” began as a manga magazine serial in 1987.
“They were sold to outside parties by us. It’s been one of the measurements. And they’re succeeding splendidly,” Gibbons remarked. We are, therefore, broadening the category because we see its appeal. One of the most effective means of reaching the highly elusive 18 to 30-year-old demographic is through anime. We have sizable anime audiences worldwide, if not in every market. This is true in the United States, as well as in some regions of Europe and Latin America.
Currently available on Netflix, “JoJo’s” and “Record of Ragnarok” have both achieved high rankings and are included in the streamer’s weekly global top ten.
“Anime from original intellectual property can be found in Japan. However, anime from other countries also exists. And we asked ourselves, “Can we take these characters and reinvent them in the world of anime?” after taking a close look at the DC universe. This is a difficult task that requires careful execution. To make it happen and grow your fan following, you have to collaborate with the proper studios, Gibbons added.
The new original anime series “Suicide Squad ISEKAI,” which is based on DC characters, is nearing completion according to the studio. Producing it are Warner Bros. Japan and WIT Studio, the renowned Japanese company known for popular anime shows like “Spy x Family” and “Attack on Titan” (seasons 1-3). The series, which is being directed by Osada Eri from a screenplay by Nagatsuki Tappei, will debut in Japan in July. Its worldwide debut is scheduled at a later date, closer to year’s end.
Amanda Waller, the leader of A.R.G.U.S., gathers a gang of infamous DC criminals, including Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Peacemaker, Clayface, and King Shark, for a magical and sword-wielding expedition into an otherworldly domain where dragons rule the skies and orcs go on rampages.
A WBD representative stated, “We see strong growth for the genre, increasing reach and relevance not only for Asian audiences but globally.”
According to Gibbons, the company is eager to participate in other Asian content areas. Aside from anime, its top priorities include Chinese-language programming, Korean drama series, and Japanese scripted content, “to some extent.”
The CEO clarified that the rights to Korean television shows are well-known and have “very well-defined pricing.” Although it is a mature market, Korean content is a very significant category and a significant portion of streaming in APAC and, increasingly, globally. Therefore, we will access that in a different way than, say, Chinese content—a lot more recent category. Currently, a smaller portion of APAC’s consumption is made up of [Chinese shows]. However, in some markets, it is expanding fairly quickly.
The company intends to launch its Max streaming service in East Asia, where a makeshift HBO Go service is still in operation. According to Gibbons, Max will offer operational and content enhancements.
“We will be launching with a much bigger content proposition for Southeast Asia. Not all of the library is currently accessible, even with the release of HBO Go. Thus, far deeper access to what we now have will be available initially. Furthermore, all of the company’s factual information will be available online. That is completely absent from HBO Go. We’ll also make the kids’ section bigger. Furthermore, Gibbons stated, “We’re going to tackle Asian content in a deliberate, defined manner. “So, I believe that we’ll have a completely new service when you combine all of that with a much enhanced tech stack.”
WBD’s JB Perette said this week, during her speech at Series Mania in France, that Max will debut on May 21 in 20 European nations, just in time for the Summer Olympics.
