Singer Ken Hirai is providing the theme song for Shin Togashi's movie "Ano Sora wo Oboeteru," which is an adaptation of the Janet Lee Carey novel "Wenny Has Wings." The movie stars Yutaka Takenouchi and Miki Mizuno as a couple that faces a tragic accident.

Hirai previously sang the themes for "Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World" and "Ai no Rukeichi." His new song is a ballad titled "Itsuka Hanareru Hi ga Kite mo." The release date has not yet been announced.

"Ano Sora wo Oboeteru" opens in theaters on April 26.

Fuji TV's Saturday night drama series "SP" will be transformed into a one-shot special on April 5, airing at 9:00pm. The series ends its 11-episode run this week, but so far, it has averaged 15.0% ratings despite its late time slot (11:10pm-11:55pm).

The action drama is scripted by Kazuki Kaneshiro ("GO") and directed by Katsuyuki Motohiro ("Odoru Daisousasen"). It stars Junichi Okada, Shinichi Tsutsumi, and Yoko Maki as special police bodyguards.

According to producer Ichiro Takai, the special episode will cover the original 11-episode series, but it will be re-edited and the timeline will be rearranged. It will also reveal a "secret" that is left undisclosed in the original, leading to some additional scenes that have already been filmed. Takai hopes the new version will appeal both to first-time viewers and the show's regular audience.

Ken Watanabe's next overseas film will be Universal Pictures' "Cirque du Freak," written and directed by Paul Weitz. The movie is based on a series of novels by Darren Shan involving vampires.

Watanabe is playing the role of Mr. Tall, the ringmaster of a freak show. John C. Reilly plays a vampire, and Salma Hayek plays a bearded lady.

Filming begins next month.

The winners of the 53rd Shogakukan Manga Awards were recently announced. Noriyuki Murase's "Keshikasu-kun" won in the children's category, while "Diamond no Ace" (Yuji Terajima) took the boys' category and "Boku no Hatsukoi wo Kimi ni Sasagu" (Kotomi Aoki) took the girls' category.

Two winners were awarded in the general category: "Kurosagi" (Takeshi Natsuhara & Kuromaru) and "Bambino!" (Tetsuji Sekiya). Both have been adapted as popular television dramas.

The Japan Jewellery Association presented its annual Jewellery Best Dresser awards on Wednesday during the 19th International Jewellery Tokyo exhibition.

This year, the awardees were Maki Horikita (teens), Rosa Kato (20s), Miki Nakatani (30s), Makiko Esumi (40s), Jun Fubuki (50s), Yoko Aki (60s), Shosuke Tanihara (men), and Daisuke Matsuzaka (special prize).

Producer Yoshihiko Muraki died of liver failure at a Keio University hospital on Monday night. He was 72. He underwent surgery for liver cancer in October, but his condition worsened at the start of this year.

Muraki joined TBS in 1959 and served as a producer and director. He resigned in 1970 and helped found the production company TVMAN UNION in the same year. He was appointed as the company's president in 1984.

Aoi Sankakujougi, a folk group popular in the 1970s, held a press conference on Wednesday to announce their reunion. They had originally planned to make their comeback in December 2006, but member Mari Takada committed suicide that September. The remaining members abandoned their reunion plans at the time, but vocalist Kumiko Nishiguchi explained that Takada's mother later persuaded them to proceed with the comeback.

27-year-old actress Mariya Yamada announced on her blog on Wednesday that she is getting married to 40-year-old actor Toru Kusano. They were first discovered as a couple last year.

Just the day before, Yamada attended a DVD release event where she denied rumors that she was getting married next month. It is not yet clear when the couple plans to register their marriage.