TBS Holdings, Inc. (“TBS HD”), the parent company of THE SEVEN (Minato-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Ryujiro Abe), has entered into a strategic partnership with Legendary Entertainment (“Legendary”), a world-class film studio headquartered in Hollywood. As part of the agreement, TBS HD has acquired a minority stake in Legendary for $150 million.

As a studio driving the TBS Group’s global strategy, THE SEVEN will work closely with Legendary—a studio that has built and expanded globally renowned blockbuster franchises such as Dune, the Monsterverse series, and Minecraft—to strongly advance the creation of entertainment that captivates audiences worldwide.

Under the partnership, the parties have agreed to continuously co-develop multiple projects based on Japanese IP, with THE SEVEN taking a leading role. Legendary’s expertise in development, production, and marketing will be combined with the TBS Group’s long-standing reputation and trusted position in the Japanese market to bring Japanese-originated stories to global audiences.

Legendary has already produced numerous projects based on Japanese IP and has positioned THE SEVEN and the TBS Group as an ideal partner aligned with its long-term strategy to expand its presence beyond Japan. At the same time, Legendary highly values the TBS Group’s long-standing network within Japan’s creative industry, as well as its proven ability to collaborate with publishers, IP holders, and creators.

This partnership represents an important step in Legendary’s broader strategy to expand its business with key local partners rooted in IP-rich markets. It also supports the TBS Group’s strategy to extend its content production capabilities beyond Japan in order to globally exploit its content and intellectual property, with THE SEVEN playing a central role in advancing this initiative. Following the transaction, the remaining equity in Legendary will continue to be owned by Legendary management and funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, who will remain equal control shareholders of the company.

In connection with this partnership, THE SEVEN will further strengthen its collaboration with its Los Angeles–based affiliate, THE SEVEN US, INC., established as its creative and business hub in North America.

Operating as an independent decision-making entity within the North American market, THE SEVEN US will make autonomous strategic judgments deeply rooted in the local creative community. With Katsuaki Setoguchi serving concurrently as President & CEO of THE SEVEN and CEO of THE SEVEN US, coordination between the two entities will be further streamlined and reinforced, significantly accelerating decision-making and execution for global projects.

Led by producer Akira Morii (Vice President & Chief Creative Officer), THE SEVEN has consistently focused on adapting Japanese IP into globally competitive screen content, including the Netflix series Alice in Borderland and Yu Yu Hakusho.

Through this partnership, THE SEVEN will incorporate Legendary’s expertise as a global hitmaker to elevate every stage of the process—from development through delivery—to world-class standards. By drawing out the essential appeal of Japanese IP and delivering it to global audiences, THE SEVEN aims to serve as a true “Cultural Translator,” bridging Japan and the world. Centered around Morii and the creative team, projects will be developed from the ground up, fusing Japanese creativity with Hollywood production methodologies.

In addition, THE SEVEN will deepen its understanding of global marketing and business strategies, strengthening the content business of both THE SEVEN and the broader group going forward.
Please stay tuned for upcoming projects.

“We are truly delighted to welcome Legendary—a world-class partner—and to take on a groundbreaking initiative without precedent. With THE SEVEN US operating as an independent North American hub closely linked with THE SEVEN, our ability to drive projects forward has increased dramatically. By fully leveraging our strengths as a ‘Cultural Translator,’ we will create Japanese-originated content that excites audiences around the world at an unprecedented speed and scale, anchored by our dual bases in Tokyo and Los Angeles.”

“Our mission has always been to create works that surprise and inspire audiences around the world from Japan. This partnership allows us to stand shoulder to shoulder with Legendary’s producers from the earliest stages of development, combining our respective strengths. Based at THE SEVEN US, on the front lines of Hollywood, we will elevate the subtlety and richness of expression of Japanese creators into world-class entertainment. With the foundation now in place, we feel tremendous optimism about the possibilities ahead.”