Japanese fans eager to go on a Heavier Trip
Expectations are high for the Japanese distributor of Heavier Trip. Preview screening takes place this week during Finland Film Festival in Tokyo where altogether four feature films and one documentary film are shown during November 23–29, 2024.
Photos: Nikita Sevcov / Making Movies
Japanese band Babymetal appear in Heavier Trip.
Finnish Film Foundation organizes Finland Film Festival in co-operation with the Eurospace cinema in Tokyo. This year the event has a special privilege of showing a preview screening of Heavier Trip, a heavy metal comedy directed by Jukka Vidgren and Juuso Laatio, in collaboration with the production company Making Movies and the Japanese distributor King Records.
The first film Heavy Trip was distributed in Japan in 2019 and became an immediate hit. “From the first day, it sold out at the main theater Cinemart Shinjuku, performing full house for two weeks,” says Hideyuki Hasegawa of King Records. The fanbase grew forming a community around the film, and many cosplayers emerged. “There even was a couple who got married after meeting each other at a Heavy Trip screening.”
The first film braking all expectations paved the way for the sequel which now has secured twice the number of theaters for its release. Heavier Trip leads the main characters to Wacken festival in Germany, and the Japanese band Babymetal make an appearance. The preview screening at the Finland Film Festival sold out quickly, and the premiere on December 20th is favorable for success. ”The expectation is high and the distributor is aiming to dominate the arthouse cinema circuit box office of the New Year holidays,” says Hideyuki Hasegawa.
Making Movies’ Kai Nordberg, one of the producers of Heavier Trip, will make a visit to the Finland Film Festival. Other Finnish films playing at the event are Je’vida by Katja Gauriloff, Long Good Thursday by Mika Kaurismäki, Missile by Miia Tervo and Once Upon a Time in a Forest by Virpi Suutari.