Yuji Sakamoto | Five-Year Collaboration with Netflix

No one can unlock the combustible combination of strangers, romance, and danger like award-winning Japanese screenwriter Yuji Sakamoto. Ahead of his Netflix debut In Love and Deep Water, we can today unveil a broader collaboration to bring more of his stories to Netflix audiences worldwide.

One of Japan’s most revered screenwriters, Sakamoto will partner with Netflix over the next five years to develop a range of titles to premiere only on Netflix. In Love and Deep Water, set to be released later this year, promises to be Sakamoto’s most ambitious film and his largest in scale to date. The romantic mystery takes place aboard a luxury cruise ship and stars Ryo Yoshizawa and Aoi Miyazaki.

Most recently, Sakamoto won the prestigious Best Screenplay Award at the 76th Cannes International Film Festival for Monster. Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, who partnered with Netflix on his debut series The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House this year, Monster is the kind of kinetic human drama which Sakamoto is known for.

Sakamoto’s previous notable works include Beautiful Bouquet, the social phenomenon Tokyo Love Story, and Mother, which has been remade in many countries and become a worldwide hit.

Kaata Sakamoto, VP, Content at Netflix Japan, said: “Yuji Sakamoto continues to create a variety of masterpieces, ranging from socially conscious works to lighter comedies and love stories, that capture our hearts and minds and keep us coming back for more including Mother, Still, Life Goes On, The Best Divorce, Quartet, Omameda Towako and Her Three Ex-Husbands, and Beautiful Bouquet. Many people, including myself, have been deeply moved by the stories that Yuji has created; and many more from far beyond Japan are waiting to immerse themselves in Yuji’s next works. At Netflix, our mission is to entertain the world, and we look forward to bringing Yuji’s unique, original storytelling to a global stage, coupled with the very best production environment and creative partnerships to realise his vision.”

This latest collaboration is another milestone as Netflix Japan ramps up its local live-action lineup in recent months, including popular films such as Call Me Chihiro and the forthcoming Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, as well as hit series like Sanctuary (May 2023), First Love (December 2022), Kore-eda’s The Makanai: Cooking in the Maiko House (January 2022) and Alice in Borderland Season 2 (December 2022), which quickly became the most-watched Japanese show ever on Netflix. Looking ahead, we’ll release live-action adaptations of beloved manga Yu Yu Hakusho and City Hunter.