Japanese Film Is Actually American

[Mulboyne]

Later this month, a new horror film called Apartment 1303 will open. It is based on a Japanese novel, features Japanese actors and was shot by a Japanese crew but it is officially an American film since financing came from The Monte Cristo Fund who provide money for low budget non-English language films. Trailer below:

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The film hasn't hasn't been well-received so far. This web reviewer says

"Guess what? It's another uninspired Japanese horror movie with a generic plot, a long-haired ghost, a haunted apartment, a mystery that's aching to be solved and a never-ending grudge."

Monte Cristo probably don't expect the film to do much business in Japan but are likely hoping to take advantage of the J-horror cachet overseas by turning a profit on DVD and TV sales. ZAKZAK, who report the story in Japanese here, mentions that there were some drawbacks to receiving overseas money: the filmakers apparently felt under some pressure to simplify the storyline to suit their American producers. This isn't the first time that a Japanese film has been financed by foreign money. When Akira Kurosawa couldn't raise funds for a new project, Stephen Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas famously prevailed on Warner Brothers to help him make "Dreams".

[emperor]

I immediately expected a knockoff/remake of 1408