By Hiroaki Tagami
Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
Disney has formed its first multi-year co-development partnership with a Japanese production studio. They plan to produce live-action dramas filmed in Japan for global distribution.
The Walt Disney Co. (Japan) has signed an agreement with The Seven Inc., a Tokyo-based drama production company established for the international market and a subsidiary of Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) Holdings Inc.
According to an announcement made Tuesday, the two companies aim to jointly plan and develop Japanese-language live-action dramas filmed in Japan for global distribution on Disney+, Disney's streaming service.
The Seven was established in January 2022 with investment from TBS Holdings. With a production budget of approximately 30 billion yen, the firm is advancing the global content business as a core component of the holding company's overseas strategy.
In November 2022, it also entered into a strategic partnership agreement with major U.S. streaming service Netflix and was involved in the production of season 3 of the globally popular drama series "Alice in Borderland."
In January, TBS Holdings announced a capital and business alliance agreement with Legendary Entertainment, the U.S. film production company behind the popular Dune film series and the Hollywood version of "Godzilla." Through its subsidiary, TBS Holdings is investing 150 million dollars and focusing on overseas expansion.
At a regular press conference on Wednesday, TBS Television Inc. President Masamine Ryuho emphasized: "We have confidence in (The Seven's) production capabilities. This is a new challenge to have stories from Japan compete overseas using Disney's unique expertise and network.
"(Until now) we have produced Japanese dramas aimed at Japanese audiences. While we were happy if they resonated overseas, from now on we will create content specifically targeting international audiences," he added.
He also cited the Disney-produced Hollywood period drama "Shogun," which garnered global attention in 2024, as an example, expressing confidently: "Historical dramas like that are easy to understand. Japanese producers are uniquely able to create dramas that delve deeply into psychological elements."
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This article is from The Yomiuri Shimbun. Neither Dow Jones Newswires, MarketWatch, Barron's nor The Wall Street Journal were involved in the creation of this content.
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April 24, 2026 03:53 ET (07:53 GMT)
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