P.24 Message from the CGO (3)

Message from the CGO Growth Strategies

sincerely grateful for the thoughtful attention you are giving to a wide range of Japanese IP. Nakatani: You have described us as a “cultural translator.” What do you think makes the role of a cultural translator so important? The Importance of being a “cultural translator” Nakatani: What is it about Japanese IP that you see so much potential in and find so interesting? Grode: That is a great question. We look at what lies behind the story. There are all kinds of manga, anime, films, television programs, and books around the world. But what really excites us is when we can delve deeply into what lies behind a story and understand the emotions behind it. That is because univer- sal themes exist there. When you look at the vast library of Japanese IP and all the energy in Japan’s creative economy, there is such a deep, rich tradition of storytelling. I believe that is why Japanese works resonate with people around the world. Grode: Being a cultural translator is actually a very delicate and difficult role. Because we must always have the utmost respect for the creators of the IP. Finding the right balance in how much change we make to the IP to make it resonate with audiences around the world without losing its essence is incredibly delicate. We are, after all, outsiders. That is why TBS’s ability to translate what is needed to cross cultural boundaries and communicate it to us in a way that is both commercial and creative is one of the crucial components of this partnership. We believe that the creators who brought a work to life know their work better than we ever could. That is why we invite creators into our offices and work on projects with them so closely and intensely that we sometimes forget to sleep or eat. That is how we are able to achieve great results. Having TBS join us in that process, we now have a trusted partner who can serve as a bridge between us and the creators. TBS helps us understand how IP should be represented and where the boundaries lie—what can be crossed and what must be pro- tected—when taking it to the world. Having TBS join us in the process helps us better understand not only the surface-level visuals of a film, but also the story behind it. Then, with TBS’s help, we can “culturally translate” the films we create in Hollywood based on Japanese IP back into Japan in a way that deeply resonates with Japanese audiences. Don’t you think that creates a very cool and beautiful cycle? Nakatani: The creators across the TBS Group are also very ex- cited to work with Legendary. In your view, what can we do to step up to the global stage and create global hits? Grode: It starts with finding the right creators, reading deeply into what they have created, and finding universal themes that resonate with people around the world. From there, you “translate” that material into a story that can reach a broader global audience. That sounds very easy to do, but it is incredibly difficult. For example, the emotional anchor of “Dune” is the story of a boy and girl who are in love but cannot be together. In a way, it is similar to “Romeo and Juliet,” isn’t it? Finding that essence and deeply understanding what the characters and their journey are—that allows us to create films that are loved around the world. 24