Asian Buyers Still Up For Animation, Classics & Streamer Package Deals, But Pre-Buying Remains Rare – Spotlight Asia

deadline.com:

Asian buyers are ultra-cautious as theatrical markets are still in recovery following the pandemic, but bright spots include animation and re-releases of classic titles, said a group of leading European sales agents at the Cannes Marche’s Spotlight Asia panel today.

Sellers including Charades, Kinology, Films Boutique and StudioCanal said Asian buyers are finally back in person at markets, following three years of pandemic travel restrictions, but there is very little pre-buying activity as buyers in most Asian markets now won’t make a decision before seeing completed films.

Stronger territories include Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, but South Korea is taking longer to come back. “Korea was traditionally a strong market for arthouse, but is now very difficult for us,” said Films Boutique’s Valeska Neu. “From time to time you something break through, but Korea’s arthouse market is now very concentrated on high profile cast and big names.”  Lucie Desquiens, acquisitions and sales manager at Charades, which has a large slate of animation, said Japanese anime is big nearly everywhere in the region: “We’ve been selling Mamoru Hosoda for a while, but Mirai really took it to another level.

Distributors are really keen to acquire those titles and there’s huge competition. But 3D and adult animation we still struggle with.”  Kinology’s Nathalie Jeung said animated family adventure Argonuts had sold strongly across the region, and the producers of the film, France’s TAT Productions, are expected to announce a new title at the American Film Market later this year.