In 2013, “The 101st Proposal” was remade into a blockbuster movie in China, making more than three billion yen at the box office. Then in 2017, the Chinese remake of drama “Operation Love” starring Asian superstar and member of EXO, Zhang Yixing, became a huge success. This year, the South Korean remake of “The Smile Has Left Your Eyes” is currently being aired. Fuji Television Network Inc. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President and Representative Director, Masaki Miyauchi, hereinafter “Fuji Television”), known for such accomplishments, announced at MIPCOM, the world’s largest content market being held in Cannes, France, the strengthening of its strategic partnership with SMG Pictures (Head Office: Shanghai City, China, President：YU JIE), part of China’s largest media network, Shanghai Media Group (hereinafter, SMG) and will co-produce two new dramas within the next three years.
Fuji Television has sold the remake rights of nearly 40 Fuji Television drama series that were huge hits within Japan, to Chinese media enterprises including “The 101st Proposal.” Together with China’s leading video distribution platform iQIYI, Fuji Television co-produced the original drama series “Mysterious Summer” (a total of 15 standalone episodes) which had over 100 million views. The company continues to seek three-dimensional business models with Chinese media enterprises.
Fuji Television and SMG Pictures entered a strategic partnership in November 2015 and has taken part in the remakes of various Fuji Television dramas including “Operation Love” starring Zhang Yixing as well as “Dating: What’s it like to be in love?” This partnership will be strengthened and developed even more. The companies have agreed to co-produce two new dramas within three years. In addition to the co-production of dramas, the partners have also agreed to distribute Fuji Television’s motion pictures to China, making this a huge milestone for Fuji Television, which aims to enter the Chinese market in full swing. Through its strengthened partnership with SMG Pictures, Fuji Television will continue to actively promote Japanese dramas, which are being recognized by China’s younger generation as “high-quality content.”
Toru Ota (Fuji Television, Senior Executive Managing Director)
Since forming a strategic partnership with China’s largest hitmaker SMG Pictures three years ago, we have produced and released several remakes by utilizing the production know-how of both companies. Our partnership will enter the next phase to co-develop remakes, original dramas, and eventually, genres not limited to drama series, and serve as a catalyst to provide content that touches the hearts of people around the world.
YU JIE （SMG Pictures, CEO）
The Chinese market is extremely large and continues to evolve, but we need to have a long-term vision. Demand for IP is high, but for drama production, the most important phase is creating the script. The Chinese market is growing very fast and box-office revenues will soon catch up to the United States. For the past three years with Fuji Television, we have explored ways on how we can satisfy the new generation of Chinese viewers when importing and localizing IP that succeeded in Europe, the US, and Asia. We learned how important that is. It is our sincere wish to continue building an even stronger partnership.
◇About SMG Pictures
SMG Pictures is a core live-action content producing company of Oriental Pearl Group Co., Ltd. (OPG), part of Shanghai Media Group, and is a one-stop comprehensive entertainment company that takes part in the planning, investment, production, advertising, and distribution of dramas and motion pictures. With their extensive experience, business resources, powerful distribution networks, and focus on the global market, SMG Pictures boasts strong partnerships with leading content holders around the world such as the BBC (the United Kingdom), the Walt Disney Company (USA), Fuji Television (Japan), and Sony Pictures. It is becoming a leading company both as a Chinese language live-action content provider and as an international entertainment content supplier.
Press Release
http://www.fujitv.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/PressRelease_SMG.pdf