Twin Engine: Entering Live-Action Film Business with Yoake

Twin Engine is entering live-action projects and, together with Yoake, taking on the distribution of the film "Death Valley '95," announced for 2027. The production, based on the novel by Shinji Aoyama, is one of the first publicly named projects with which the group, previously active mainly in the anime sector, is expanding its business into live-action films.

"Death Valley '95" is based on the novel of the same name by director Shinji Aoyama, who died in 2022. Masaki Suda takes the lead role and directs his first feature-length film. Kento Yamada is working as co-director; Suda, Yamada and Sora Hokimoto are involved in the screenplay. Filming is scheduled to begin in October 2026, and the Japanese theatrical release is planned for 2027.

Anime Producer Expands Its Business Field

For aninew.de, the role of Twin Engine is particularly relevant. The company stands behind anime projects such as "Super Kaguya-hime!", the "Mononoke" film series and "Japan Sangoku." For "Death Valley '95," Twin Engine is handling distribution together with Yoake, which among other things was involved in the live-action films "Every Day a Good Day" and "Hokusai's Daughter."

This development fits a broader expansion of Japanese content companies beyond individual forms of production. Recently, aninew.de reported on Plott's state-supported IP360 strategy for international short anime. Likewise, the cross-studio audition by THINKR and KAMITSUBAKI shows how producers are organizing their structures beyond individual labels and formats.

For Twin Engine, the joint distribution of "Death Valley '95" is a concrete step outside its previous anime focus. Further live-action projects or an independent release schedule have not been mentioned in the announcements reviewed so far.