Takashi Murakami Animation Studio in Hollywood

The LA Times just published an article saying that Japanese superstar artist, toy maker, fashion collaborator, and Louis Vuitton pattern maker, Takashi Murakami has leased a large building in Los Angeles to launch his own movie studio.

Murakami is — by far — the most well known contemporary artist working in Japan right now. Unfortunately, the art market, and Asian art in particular, has been hit hard by the economic crash in the last few months. Luckily for Murakami, he has many other sources of income, including his work with the house of Vuitton and his recent Hi / Lo collaborations with Hiroshi Fujiwara and various hipster fashion brands. He’s also created artwork and a video for Kanye West, did branding collaborations with Roppongi Hills, and runs a gallery space in Tokyo.

So, what’s a guy to do when he’s got all that money and all that ambition? How about taking on Hollywood? Apparently, that’s exactly what Murakami has decided to do. According to the article, he will probably hire a staff of around 30 people in LA and then put them to work on a full length animated movie version of his existing short “Planting the Seeds”. After that, more full length movies are planned.

Check out the full article at the Los Angeles Times website.