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Blamed by some, hailed as heroes by others, those involved with Fukushima Daiichi face a deadly, invisible threat – an unprecedented nuclear disaster. (Source: Netflix)

Netflix has released the first teaser trailer for its upcoming 8 episode drama on the Fukushima nuclear disaster. This series is tentatively set for release sometime in 2023. It is helmed by co-directors Hideo Nakata and Masaki Nishiura. The former is known for his horror movies Ring (1998), Ring 2 (1999) and Dark Water (2002); while the latter has extensive experience in Japanese dramas and TV movies including both seasons and the movie for Fuji TV’s Code Blue franchise. The Days will feature Koji Yakusho (13 Assassins), Yutaka Takenouchi (Shin Godzilla), Fumiyo Kohinata (The Confidence Man Jp movies). A subtitled trailer is available here.

Selena Lee, Kenny Kwan, and Adam Pak lead the cast of “Tape,” a Cantonese-language remake of the Richard Linklater drama film that debuted in 2001. The new film is to be directed by Bizhan Tong with cameras set to roll next month in Hong Kong.

“Tape” tells the story of 3 best friends who, following an event at a graduation party that transforms their lives, reunite 15 years later where a case of blackmail forces them to confront a terrible secret from their past.

The original film starred Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Robert Sean Leonard and played at the Sundance, Toronto and Rotterdam festivals.

In Tong’s remake, Kwan, Lee, and Pak play the contemporary characters while Mason Fung, Summer Chan, and Angus Yeung portray their younger versions.

The script is written by Stephen Belber, Tong, Lee and Bonnie Lo, and is an adaptation of Belber’s own scripts from both the original film and stage play.

Despite fears that the Japanese summer box office might be a lost cause, with many big Hollywood and local releases postponed, recent figures indicate that audiences, especially younger fans of hit TV shows, are returning to theaters after the coronavirus hiatus.

The number one film for the July 20-26 period, when Japan enjoyed a four-day holiday weekend, was the high school comedy “Beginning Today It Is My Turn.” Following its July 17 release, the film has passed the JPY3 billion ($28 million) milestone.

Directed by veteran hitmaker Yuichi Fukuda, the film is a feature iteration of a highly rated 2018 TV drama on the Ntv network that was in turn inspired by a 1980s gag manga about blustering and battling delinquents. On July 25 Ntv rebroadcast episodes of the shows to give the film a publicity boost.

Meanwhile the number two film, caper comedy “The Confidence Man Jp: Princess,” looks likely to reach the...