Nicholas R. Zabaly

Nicholas Zabaly is a self-described ‘filmworker,’ a term he has humbly borrowed from the late Leon Vitali (a frequent collaborator of Stanley Kubrick). Just as Mr. Vitali supported Mr. Kubrick in a variety of capacities for many years, Nicholas has spent his career in the entertainment industry in the quest to facilitate and support good works, whether they originated with him or not. With a passion for and knowledge of animation in both the United States and Japan, he has particularly emphasized international collaborations and focused on bringing diverse creators together.

A graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Nicholas began his career working with the US office of the groundbreaking Japanese animation studio Madhouse. He additionally worked in various capacities with the American manga publisher TOKYOPOP, the production/talent management company The Gotham Group, Leonardo di Caprio’s production company Appian Way, and Nina Jacobson’s production company Color Force. Following this, Nicholas spent ten years working in cooperation with the development teams of All Nippon Entertainment Works (ANEW), Akatsuki Entertainment USA, and AMMO Entertainment on the adaptation of Japanese content into Hollywood films. He participated in the development and production of two feature films based upon Japanese source materials: the supernatural horror film Room 203 (2022, adapted from the novel by Nanami Kamon), and the dramatic thriller Root Letter (2022, adapted from the hit Kadokawa Games title released worldwide). In cooperation with AMMO Entertainment, served as the associate producer of the award-winning documentary feature film Amy & Monte: A Legacy of Love & Creativity, scheduled for release in 2026.

Within the realm of animation, Nicholas assisted the acclaimed Japanese animation studio Science SARU during their work on the Disney+ animated anthology Star Wars: Visions (2021), serving as associate producer for the studio’s two short film contributions to the project’s first season (T0-B1 and Akakiri). He has also served as an animation film festival jurist for the South East European Film Festival.

Most recently, Nicholas has collaborated with writer/director Masashi Kawamata to produce and co-write the US-Japan co-production feature film OUT, which was produced in Japan in 2025 and is scheduled for film festival release in 2026.

Outside of the film industry, Nicholas has also worked in publishing. He edited the translation of the English-language release of Masaya Yamaguchi’s renowned Japanese mystery novel Death of the Living Dead (1989; English version 2021), and is currently editing a revised edition of Andrew Simmons’ five-part action-horror novel Isaiah Tiller (2013-21; revised edition 2026).