Tetsu Fujimura, the CEO of Japanese IP consultancy and production company Filosophia Inc. and a producer on Netflix’s “One Piece” live-action series, delivered a data-intensive keynote at the Cannes Film Market, presenting a comprehensive account of the booming global market for Japanese intellectual property adaptations and cataloguing a Hollywood development pipeline that stretches across every major studio.
The session – part of Japan’s Country of Honor designation at this year’s event and organized by the Executive Committee for Japan Country of Honor 2026, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Japan External Trade Organization – was titled “The Future of Japanese IP in Global Adaptations.”
Fujimura opened by establishing the commercial context. He presented 45 years of box office data showing IP-based films growing from roughly 10%-20% of the global top 30 in the 1970s and 1980s to more than 80% today. Every title in the 2024 worldwide top 10 was IP-based, with “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” in the eighth and tenth spots. “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yabu Infinity Castle” placed seventh in the 2025 global top 10.
To illustrate Japan’s standing as an IP superpower, Fujimura cited Titlemax data showing 10 Japanese franchises ranking in the global top 25 by all-time IP revenue. Pokemon leads at $92.1 billion in estimated lifetime revenues; Hello Kitty follows at $80 billion, Anpanman at $60.3 billion, Super Mario at $36.1 billion and Shonen Jump at $34.1 billion. The “Fandom Franchise Top 25” fan-vote ranking placed “One Piece” third globally.
