This page discusses the fall and rebirth of the Japanese film industry in modern times. The industry fell in the nineties, where Japan faced the biggest drop ever. The rebirth was due to increased funding from television companies and others, as well as the rise of talented new directors and actors, the opening of multiplex theaters, and the decline in quality of a lot of Hollywood films.

Hollywood blockbusters took over the movie industry in the 20th century, but Kitano Takeshi became the leading Japanese film director. He rose in the international movie world and lead the Japanese movie industry to a new heights in the current decade. In this century, Hollywood has created many remakes of original Japanese horror movies. Popular ones include The Ring (Ringu 1998), Tinseltown (2002), and The Grudge (Juon 2003)