WarnerMedia One Fifty has received the rights to the Japanese road drama Drive My Car to premiere on HBO Max on March 2, 2022.

The Academy Award Nominee is directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Takamasa Oe, and is adapted from the short story of the same name by Haruki Murakami. The film tells the story of the renowned stage actor and director, Yūsuke Kafukuwho, played by Hidetoshi Nishijima, who connects with a young taciturn woman assigned to chauffeur him in his cherished red Saab 900. 

The project from The Sideshow/ Janus Films also stars Tōko Miura, Masaki Okada, Reika Kirishima, Park Yoo-rim, Satoko Abe, Jin Dae-Yeon, and Sonia Yuan.

The Japanese film recently received Academy Award nominations in four categories including; Best Picture, Best Director, Best International Feature Film, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It is the first-ever Japanese film to be nominated for Best Picture. 

Due to all the Oscar love, the film’s box office numbers went up and the film will soon be even more accessible once it hits streaming via HBO Max. 

“As WarnerMedia’s ‘artist studio where innovation happens,’ OneFifty has built a track record of identifying incredible artists whose vision we believe in, and acquiring their extraordinary, groundbreaking content. Drive My Car is no exception. It is a beautiful masterpiece – a subtle but haunting work of artistic vision and innovation by a talented filmmaker and creative team” said Axel Caballero, Head of WarnerMedia OneFifty.

Be sure to watch Drive My Car streaming on HBO Max starting March 2.