Japanese art-house star Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters, Monster) is re-teaming with Netflix to write and direct Asura, a contemporary remake of a classic Japanese family drama series from the late 1970s. Starring popular actresses Rie Miyazawa, Machiko Ono, Yu Aoi and Suzu Hirose, the show has already finished production and will launch on Netflix on Jan. 9.

Kore-eda and his team have approached the series as a tribute to the influential Japanese TV writer Kuniko Mukoda, who scripted the original Like Asura and several other landmarks in the early days of the J-drama genre.

“With great respect for Mukoda and her influence on his career, Kore-eda infuses Asura with his unique vision, highlighting the independence and complexity of women,” Netflix said in a statement.

Notes Kore-eda: “What makes Kuniko Mukoda’s dramas so rich are the superficial poison exchanged in conversation and the love hidden behind those cruel words. The...