Today, Satoshi Kon is recognized as one of the most influential and interesting directors from Japan, but this was not always the case. In fact, the Japanese director has always had a difficult relationship with Hollywood, as the various “credits” that some major productions such as Requiem for a Dream (2000) and most recently The Whale (2022) have taken from his animated films, are not a secret.
In a 2007 interview that has just been revealed, Satoshi Kon first talked about the “tribute” that Requiem for a Dream paid to Perfect Blue (1997), one of his most famous films, which is about an idol who tries to continue your career as an actor while you’re being chased by an obsessive fan. It’s clear from the interview that both directors were aware of what happened, but Cohn talks about his meeting with Darren Aronofsky with more intrigue:
The interview makes it clear that Satoshi Kon has been concerned about this “tribute” ever since, and it’s not entirely surprising. Although rumors circulated on the Internet, in 2001 the director denied that Aronofsky and the production company had approached him to obtain permissions for “Perfect Blue”.
