Variety reports that Japan’s Nikkatsu studio and Madhouse toon house are joining forces in the U.S. to make movies with their U.S. partners and expand their worldwide businesses. According to Nikkatsu president Naoki Sato, “We’re not just going to sell remake rights to our properties, but make films using our own corporate resources, in partnership with Hollywood companies. We intend to make both live-action films from animation and animation from live-action films.” As Japan’s oldest studio, Nikkatsu has a library of more than 3,000 titles, whereas Madhouse contributes its production facilities in Ogikubo, Tokyo and its roster of top anime directors such as Satoshi Kon, Katsuhiro Otomo and Rintaro. Its recent hits include sci-fi thriller Paprika.