Kadokawa produces remake of Malle’s Elevator

The project marks the first ever Japanese reworking of a French classic and the first remake of the nouvelle vague forerunning film, which starred Jeanne Moreau and Maurice Ronet. The late director’s son Manuel Cuotemoc Malle, himself a film producer, has given his blessing on the project.

In the remake, Hiroshi Abe stars as a doctor having an affair with the wife (Michiko Kichise) of a medical services company president. The pair scheme to make her husband’s murder look like a suicide.

The film also stars Tetsuji Tamayama, Keiko Kitagawa and is directed by Akira Ogata. Principal photography wraps at the end of October with the film slated for a fall 2010 release.

Kadokawa Pictures parent company Kadokawa Holdings also announced two corporate consolidations.

Kadokawa Pictures will absorb DVD releasing subsidiary Kadokawa Entertainment on November 1. Kadokawa hopes to streamline and synergise its visual contents businesses with the move. Kadokawa transferred sales rights of DreamWorks video titles to Paramount Japan earlier this year.

The conglomerate also consolidated its mobile and internet contents business units under the newly formed Kadokawa Contents Gate subsidiary on October 1. The subsidiary will handle group-wide feature film, animation and publication contents as well as offering contents streaming services to third parties.

Kadokawa releases Astro Boy on October 10 and in-house production The Sun That Doesn’t Set, starring Ken Watanabe, on October 24 through Toho. Kadokawa also recently picked up Japanese rights to Rob Marshall’s upcoming musical Nine for a 2010 release.