Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith will now be working with Yasushi Akimoto thanks to the newly-formed venture through Westbrook Inc. and Akimoto Project, according to Deadline. Akimoto is expected to create a variety of different media through this new partnership, beginning with the film The Elephant’s Back, which is an adaptation of the book that Akimoto wrote, set to be turned into a screenplay by Jon Herman.
Akimoto is known as a prolific writer, lyricist, and producer in Japan, and this new move will help bring him a more international presence. Throughout his career, he has written lyrics for and helped launch the careers of many artists like The Alfee, Kinki Kids, Tunnels in addition to establishing many idol groups like AKB 48, Nogizaka 46, Keyakizaka 46. In 2014, he was selected to be part of the committee for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, which are now set to happen in a few weeks.
About this opportunity, Akimoto opined, “How will the world change in the future? It’s not my job to try to predict the future, but there is one thing I can say. We are entering an age of doubt, where we won’t be able to take things for granted anymore. Trying to catch lightning in a bottle twice is not a good method of business. In other words, we are in an age that demands new things all the time. Joining together with Westbrook is one way to shake things up. Why would Westbrook join with Yasushi Akimoto, and vice versa? The answer to that lies in the passion that each of us brings. I hope you will look forward to this new project.
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Will and Jada also shared their enthusiasm: “We are excited about the opportunities and relationships that will be forged through this partnership with Mr. Akimoto and Akimoto Project LLC. Our goal in launching Westbrook has always been to tell universal stories that connect audiences no matter their background. We look forward to this partnership and the projects we are gearing up to create together.
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Westbrook Inc. CEO Ko Yada stressed the value of entering this relationship with Asia, explaining that “To strengthen our reach and continue empowering artists across the globe to tell their stories, it is essential that we focus on developing more content with international partners. Asia and Japan’s influence on the entertainment industry is massive and we are excited to collaborate with Yasushi Akimoto and Akimoto Project LLC. to create content and give these projects a global platform.”