Shūji Abe Explained

Shūji Abe
Native Name:阿部 秀司
Native Name Lang:ja
Birth Date:7 August 1949
Birth Place:Chiba, Japan
Occupation:Film producer
Years Active:1986–2023
Founder of Robot Communications
Representative director and president of Shuji Abe Office

was a Japanese film producer. The founder of Robot Communications, he was responsible for the production of many of Japan's most successful and acclaimed movies from the 21st century, including Bayside Shakedown 2 (2003), Stand by Me Doraemon (2014), and Godzilla Minus One (2023).[1]

Life and career

Abe was born in Chiba, Japan on August 7, 1949.[2] In June 1986, he founded the Japanese film production studio Robot Communications, starting work on graphics design and television commercials in 1987. Robot became a leading Japanese studio in the 2000s, making some of the biggest titles in Japan and overseas (all of which produced by Abe), including box office record holder Bayside Shakedown 2 (2003), and Takashi Yamazaki's (2005). Comic Book Resources stated that while Abe has produced some of the most successful Japanese pictures of all time, his "impact and business savvy is perhaps best captured in comments about one of his newest productions, Godzilla Minus One". Yamazaki said that Abe was responsible for the "English + Japanese titles" for his films, such as Always: Sunset on Third Street and suggested he may have also converted the title for Minus One.

Abe also produced Love Letter (1995), Juvenile (2000),[3] Returner (2002),[4] Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva (2009),[5] Space Battleship Yamato (2010), The Eternal Zero (2013), Stand by Me Doraemon (2014), (2014), (2019), and (2019). In 2015, he received the Animation Lifetime Achievement at the 24th Japan Movie Critics Awards for his work on Stand by Me Doraemon.[6]

On December 21, 2023, it was announced that Abe had died on December 11, at the age of 74.[7] A private funeral had already been held by his family. The visual effects team for Godzilla Minus One paid tribute to Abe upon winning Best Visual Effects at the 96th Academy Awards.[8]

Filmography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Nwaenie . Chike . December 21, 2023 . Famed Godzilla Minus One Producer Shuji Abe Dies at 74 . December 21, 2023 . . en.
  2. Web site: 株式会社 阿部秀司事務所 . December 21, 2023 . ja.
  3. Web site: ジュブナイル : 作品情報 . December 21, 2023 . 映画.com . ja.
  4. Web site: Returner : 作品情報 . December 21, 2023 . 映画.com . ja.
  5. Web site: December 21, 2023 . Godzilla Minus One Producer Shuji Abe Passes Away at 74 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231221182650/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-12-21/godzilla-minus-one-producer-shuji-abe-passes-away-at-74/.205766 . December 21, 2023 . December 21, 2023 . Anime News Network.
  6. Web site: 日本映画批評家大賞 第24回受賞作品 . December 21, 2023 . jmcao.org.
  7. Web site: December 21, 2023 . (おくやみ)阿部秀司氏(映画プロデューサー) . December 21, 2023 . . ja.
  8. Web site: 'Godzilla Minus One' wins best visual effects . March 10, 2024 . . en.
  9. Web site: Love Letter : 作品情報 . 2023-12-22 . 映画.com . ja.
  10. Web site: パラサイト・イヴ : 作品情報 . 2023-12-22 . 映画.com . ja.
  11. Web site: スペーストラベラーズ : 作品情報 . December 22, 2023 . 映画.com . ja.
  12. Web site: 海猿 : 作品情報 . December 22, 2023 . 映画.com . ja.
  13. Web site: ALWAYS 続・三丁目の夕日 : 作品情報 . December 22, 2023 . 映画.com . ja.
  14. Web site: K-20 怪人二十面相・伝 : 作品情報 . December 22, 2023 . 映画.com . ja.
  15. Web site: 寄生獣 : 作品情報 . December 22, 2023 . 映画.com . ja.
  16. Web site: 寄生獣 完結編 : 作品情報 . December 22, 2023 . 映画.com . ja.
  17. Web site: アルキメデスの大戦 : 作品情報 . December 22, 2023 . 映画.com . ja.
  18. Web site: ゴーストブック おばけずかん : 作品情報 . December 22, 2023 . 映画.com . ja.
  19. Web site: ゴジラ-1.0/C : 作品情報 . December 22, 2023 . 映画.com . ja.