Japanese studio Nikkatsu has acquired the buying and selling operations of Japan’s AMG Entertainment in a move designed to strengthen its own acquisitions activities.

The deal also includes a library of approximately 300 titles, predominantly straight-to-DVD features produced in the US. Recent titles include the remake of Larry Cohen’s It’s Alive and Cleaner starring Samuel L. Jackson.

Contracts were signed earlier this month but the merger will be officially registered at the end of August. AMG Entertainment president and COO Aki Sugihara will oversee the operations at Nikkatsu, bringing over an undecided number of staff.

Nikkatsu cited AMG’s expertise in acquiring and handling rights to non-Japanese contents and its library as part of its strategy to develop a new business model.

Recent years have seen the number of buyers for arthouse and low-budget movies in Japan decrease due to harsh economic conditions.

The deal follows an earlier investment by AMG in Nikkatsu earlier this year. As reported on Screendaily.com in February, Nikkatsu’s previous parent company Index Holdings sold a 7.11% share in the studios to AMG worth $5.31m (Y500m).

Established in 2000, AMG group core business Amusement Media Academy offers training for voice actors, animators, manga artists and writers. The Nikkatsu investment bought AMG stronger ties with film production.

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