Production Fund K2 Pictures To Receive Investment From Development Bank Of Japan As Part Of Efforts To Revitalize Country’s Film Industry

The Development Bank of Japan, a major state-backed institute, will invest in K2 Pictures, a Tokyo-based production fund, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Founded in 2023 by producer Muneyuki Kii, K2 Pictures was established as an initiative to create a new ecosystem for Japanese cinema, utilizing an alternative structure that aims to attract both domestic and international investors. As part of this system, creators would directly receive a portion of the revenue, middleman fees would be reduced, and mutual incentives would be organized for production and financing.

Launching at Cannes in 2024, the company gained support and backing from several auteurs such as Hirokazu Kore-eda, Takashi Miike, Shunji Iwai, Miwa Nishikawa, and Kazuya Shiraishi, and anime studio MAPPA, eventually partnering with Japan’s largest bank MUFG this past summer, followed by the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) in November.

Now K2 has reported that it has secured an investment from another major bank, the Development Bank of Japan (DBJ), for 500 million yen ($3.3 million) for its K2P Film Fund I.

Kii spoke about the investment in a statement, saying,

We are delighted that the Development Bank of Japan…recognized the value of our initiative and agreed to participate. Entertainment and finance are often perceived as distant fields…However, to compete globally, a strong connection between the two is essential.

A DBJ spokesperson added,

We deeply resonate with K2 Pictures’ vision to globalize Japan’s film industry. We are also impressed by their approach to innovating film production and financing methods by engaging a wide range of players, including those in related industries. We are delighted to join them in this endeavor.

K2’s ambitions mirror a growing trend in other Asian countries, such as Taiwan and Hong Kong, that are attempting to revitalize their own struggling film industries.

K2 Pictures also already has its first funded project, Mag Mag, a horror comedy directed by Yuriyan Retriever, in development.

Mag Mag is scheduled for release on February 6th, 2026.