Academy Award winning director Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) and film producer Nicolas Gonda (The Tree of life) have launched Kodansha Studios to create live-action movies and TV shows based on manga properties. The global studio will pull from the Kodansha manga library, which is home to titles like Akira and Attack on Titan.

Zhao will be the Chief Creative Officer and Gonda will be the President and Chief Operations Officer of the venture. Kodansha Studios will bring together filmmakers from around the world and leading Japanese manga authors to develop and package adaptations. Their titles will encompass all genres with romance, drama, big event action, fantasy, and horror.

Kodansha was founded in 1909 and is based in Tokyo with offices in the US, China, and throughout Europe. They have 4,000 titles in its catalog, including popular manga like Sailor Moon, Blue Lock, Initial D, Tokyo Revengers, and The Kindaichi Case Files. Collectively their books have been published in over 40 countries and have sold over half a billion copies.

“Guided by our corporate mission, ‘Inspire Impossible Stories,’ we are constantly seeking new avenues to deliver the rich, diverse narratives originating from Japan to a global audience,” Kodansha CEO Yoshinobu Noma said. “The establishment of Kodansha Studios represents a pivotal moment – and a new chapter – in the relationship between Japanese publishers and Hollywood. This studio is our commitment to accelerating direct partnerships with premier global artists, producers, and partner studios.”

“I grew up reading and drawing manga. I love being a part of the fandoms and I feel a deep sense of belonging with people around the world who share their love for these characters and stories,” Zhao said. “Kodansha has an unparalleled library of manga and novels cultivated by master storytellers just waiting to be brought to life onscreen. By connecting these brilliant authors with their filmmaker counterparts internationally, we can empower both parties while driving a wave of exceptional storytelling for audiences all over the world.”