New remakes of Akira Kurosawa's movies could be in the works soon, after a Los Angeles-based firm signed a deal for the Japanese filmmaker's body of work.

Fledgling film and TV production company Splendent Media has signed an exclusive deal for the production and remake rights (outside of Japan) to Kurosawa's catalogue, which includes dozens of films he wrote and/or directed — like Rashomon, Ran, Yojimbo and Kagemusha — as well as screenplays the influential director penned but never filmed.

Splendent founder Sakiko Yamada announced the deal Monday with Hideyoshi Kato, a senior official of the Akira Kurosawa 100 Project, according to Hollywood industry paper Variety.

"We are thrilled and deeply honored to have been entrusted to represent this spectacular treasure trove of films and screenplays, and to help contemporary filmmakers introduce a new generation of moviegoers to these unforgettable stories," Yamada said.

'Intense interest' in remakes

"In recent years, countless American and European filmmakers have expressed intense interest in remaking Kurosawa's films," Kato added.

"To help streamline this process, we are extremely pleased to have found in Ms. Yamada a representative who possesses a deep passion for Kurosawa's work, as well as strong connections to both the Japanese and U.S. entertainment industries."

Splendent, which Yamada formed in 2010, will unveil its first project — the Al Pacino-directed feature Wilde Salome — at the Venice Film Festival, which begins Aug. 31.

The rights deal does not encompass four Kurosawa-related projects already being developed, including a Weinstein Co. treatment of the ensemble classic Seven Samurai.

Tokyo-born Kurosawa, who died in 1998, is widely regarded as one of most significant filmmakers in cinematic history. Steven Spielberg is among the many directors who have cited him as a major influence.

George Lucas has also acknowledged the Japanese director's The Hidden Fortress as a key influence on his storytelling in the original Star Wars, while John Sturges channelled Kurosawa hit Seven Samurai into the acclaimed western The Magnificent Seven.

Kurosawa himself drew inspiration from other filmmakers and past works. He noted his Yojimbo (which eventually spawned Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars) took direction from The Glass Key, the film noir adaptation of the Dashiell Hammett novel, while his films Throne of Blood and Ran were retellings of Shakespeare's Macbeth and King Lear.

Frequent Kurosawa collaborator Toshiro Mifune is seen in a still from 1954's Seven Samurai. AFP/Getty Images