Toho announces sequels to "Kaiji" and "Amalfi: Megami no Hoshu" for 2011... but why?

by Chris MaGee

Why? Why, that's all we want to know! Okay, we know why studios make sequels of films - to make money - but I guess what we really want to know is why such terrible films are making money in Japan right now. Case in point: Toho recently announced their 2011 line-up of projects and what do we find amongst the roster of films? Sequels to two of the worst movies in recent memory, namely Toya Sato's adaption of Nobuyuki Fukumoto's manga "Kaiji" (above) and the shot on location in Italy semi-thriller "Amalfi: Megami no Hoshu" (trailer below). Both these films will be seeing spin-offs or sequels in Japanese theatres next year... but once again we have to ask "Why???" Both original films were terribly bloated and horribly acted with "Kaiji" trying to appeal to manga readers and problem gamblers and "Amalfi" pandering to Japan's ideas of the romantic Italian coastal region.

I would say more about these two sequels, but this news breaks my spirit. Head over to Tokyograph to get whatever release details Toho is doling out. All I can say is that I hope Sarah Brightman shows up in the sequel to "Amalfi" and somehow falls of a beautiful cliff or something. Ugh!