DreamWorks Studios, co-founded by Stacey Snider and director Steven Spielberg and in partnership with The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, has bought the rights to Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s film Like Father, Like Son, it was announced today by Fuji TV.
Winner of a Jury Prize at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, Like Father, Like Son tells the heartbreaking story of two families who discover that their six-year-old sons were switched at birth.
Spielberg served as president of the jury at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, which is where he first saw the film and brought it to the attention of his team back at DreamWorks. Said Spielberg, When I saw the film at Cannes, I was so impressed by its power to bring such a human story to the screen. Here at DreamWorks Studios, Stacey and our team recognized that it was a story we wanted to remake to bring to our audiences throughout the world. I thank Hirokazu Kore-eda and Fuji TV for giving us this once in a lifetime opportunity.
Said director Hirokazu Kore-eda, “I am honored that a company such as DreamWorks will be developing my film for American audiences. I’m looking forward to working with Steven Spielberg, for whom I have great admiration.”
Produced by Fuji TV, Amuse Inc. and GAGA Corporation (GAGA), Like Father, Like Son was released in Japanese theaters on September 28. GAGA and Wild Bunch handles its international sales.