Japan: Disney+ adding Star brand in October
September 2, 2021
By Nik Roseveare
The Disney+ service in Japan will expand its general entertainment content with the introduction of the Star brand on October 27th. With the addition of Star to the current line-up of content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, Disney+ Japan will feature over 16,000 titles.
The Star brand features thousands of hours of general entertainment, including movies and shows produced by Disney Television Studios (ABC Signature and 20th Television), FX Productions, 20th Century Studios, Searchlight Pictures and more. The brand will also feature exclusive originals and locally produced content tailored for the Japanese market.
“I am thrilled that we are expanding the Disney+ entertainment experience to Japanese consumers with the addition of the Star brand. Japan was the first market to launch Disney+ in North Asia and continues to be a high priority market for Disney,” said Carol Choi, President and Representative Director, The Walt Disney Company (Japan) Ltd. “Together with NTT DOCOMO INC., Disney+ has been received very well by Japanese consumers. The addition of Star on Disney+ adds unprecedented breadth and depth to our general entertainment line-up and will allow us to collaborate with top creators to introduce the best of Japanese storytelling to our consumers.”
Star content that will be made available for streaming exclusively on Disney+ in Japan includes the Oscar winning Nomadland; classic movies like Pretty Woman, Titanic, The Devil Wears Prada and Deadpool; Star originals Only Murders in the Building, starring Steve Martin and Selena Gomez and popular movie spin-off Love, Victor; new productions such as the first television series based on classic sci-fi movie Alien; and a retelling of James Clavell’s beloved epic saga, Shōgun. Star will also feature popular overseas dramas Glee, 24, The Walking Dead and 9-1-1: LONE STAR.
To coincide with the introduction of Star, Disney+ will also add new features and compatibility across a wide range of mobile and connected TV devices, including gaming consoles, streaming media players, and smart TVs. Added features include 4K picture quality, 5.1 channel sound, support for Dolby Atmos-compatible audio equipment for greater enjoyment of content, GroupWatch for watching content together with up to seven people whether in the same room or apart, and stronger parental controls such as Kids Profile and Profile PINs to ensure the service remains suitable for audiences of all ages.