Popular songstress Thelma Aoyama (21) has been tapped to provide the theme song for the Japanese dub of Richard Gere's upcoming movie, "Hachiko: A Dog's Tale."

Produced by and starring Gere, the film is inspired by the story of the loyal dog Hachiko, said to have waited outside Shibuya Station every day for ten years after its master's death. In "Hachiko," Gere plays the part of a university professor who takes in an abandoned Akita dog.

The movie, which has been in the works since 2007, is directed by Lasse Hallstrom. It will get its North American premiere on June 13 at the Seattle International Film Festival. The Japanese-language version, titled "Hachi: Yakusoku no Inu," opens on August 8.

Aoyama's "Wasurenai yo" will be her first theme song for a Japanese version of a foreign film. The tune will play in theatrical trailers across Japan starting this weekend, and is scheduled for release as a single on August 5, right before the movie's Japanese release.