Ichise first found recognition as a producer with the 1986 fantasy thriller YUMEMIRUYOUNI NEMURITAI (“To Sleep so as to Dream”). In 1987, Ichise produced the successful sci-fi film TEITO MONOGATARI (“Tokyo the Last Megalopolis”) whose animated video series adaptation has become a worldwide cult sensation.
Ichise launched his own production company, Oz Co., Ltd. in 1989, and in 1992 established his Los Angeles-based Ozla Pictures, Inc. to develop and produce English-language pictures. Some of the early films produced under this banner include AMERICAN YAKUZA, starring Viggo Mortensen; action-thriller NO WAY BACK, distributed by Columbia TriStar and starring Russell Crowe; and the Christophe Gans-helmed CRYING FREEMAN, which reached number one at the box office in both France and South Korea.
In 1997, Ichise produced the acclaimed horror masterpiece RINGU ("Ring") directed by Hideo Nakata. RINGU became an international hit, setting box office records across Asia and garnering numerous awards on the festival circuit. The US remake, THE RING, directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts, debuted at number one at the US box office and grossed nearly $250 million worldwide.
Ichise produced a number of non-Japanese Asian films, including two Hong Kong romantic thrillers, MOUICHIDO AITAKUTE (“Moonlight Express”) starring Leslie Cheung, and BULLETS OF LOVE, directed by Andrew Lau. Martial arts fantasy SHURAYUKIHIME (“The Princess Blade”) followed in 2002. With action sequences directed by Hong Kong maestro Donnie Yen, the film screened to critical acclaim at the 2002 Berlin Film Festival.
In 2003, Ichise produced the international hit horror films and festival favorites JUON (“JU-ON: The Grudge”) and JUON 2 (“JU-ON: The Grudge 2”). The English-language remake, THE GRUDGE, produced by Ichise and Sam Raimi, and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, was released by Columbia Pictures in 2004. The film ruled the US box office and collected an unprecedented 39 million USD in its opening weekend, going on to gross over 187 million USD worldwide.
In March of 2008, New Regency released Ichise’s English-language film SHUTTER, which starred Joshua Jackson and Rachel Taylor. Ichise’s Japanese action-adventure picture, GOEMON, directed by Kazuaki Kiriya, was released in 2009 and earned a very successful 14 million USD at the Japanese box office. Recently in December of 2010, Ichise produced Paramount’s first Japanese-language production: a remake of their 1990 blockbuster GHOST.
A unique global filmmaker, Ichise continues to surprise international audiences with fresh, intriguing and well-crafted films. Ichise is currently producing several films both in the US and Japan.
