Writer | Producer | Creator | Educator
Koji Steven Sakai is a prolific storyteller whose career is defined by versatility, moving seamlessly between high-stakes action films, hit podcasts, and the classroom. As the founder of Little Nalu Pictures LLC, Koji has built a body of work that spans nearly every major streaming platform, including Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Paramount+.
Feature Films
Sakai has written eight feature films produced and distributed worldwide, including the action thrillers Damaged (starring Samuel L. Jackson and Vincent Cassel), Boneyard (starring Mel Gibson and 50 Cent), and The Commando (starring Mickey Rourke and Michael Jai White). His other screenwriting credits include Skeletons in the Closet (starring Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr.), Nyctophobia, Haunted Highway, and the indie comedy festival favorite The People I’ve Slept With.
In television, he served as a staff writer on the international drama series House of the Owl for Disney+/Hulu.
Television & Unscripted Production
In television, Sakai served as a staff writer on the international drama series House of the Owl for Disney+/Hulu. On the unscripted and comedy side, he is the co-creator and executive producer of the groundbreaking Asian American stand-up series Comedy InvAsian, which recently launched its third season (Comedy InvAsian III) on Amazon Prime Video, following previous runs on Hulu and Peacock. He also produced a comedy special for Netflix.
Podcasting & Audio Drama
A prolific creator in narrative audio and digital media, Koji Steven Sakai writes, directs, and produces across multiple formats through Little Nalu Pictures. He created the chart-topping narrative audio drama Elucidity, which reached #1 on Apple Podcasts’ Fiction chart. His latest narrative audio thriller, The Red Room, is a 10-episode series co-created with Milton Liu and released in partnership with Voyage Media. Blending mystery, psychological suspense, and supernatural horror, the series explores memory and the boundaries between past, present, and future. His other audio projects include the popular talk and mystery podcast The Unofficial Official Story and Japanese America, produced in partnership with the Japanese American National Museum.
Books & Graphic Novels
As an author, Sakai has published novels and graphic novels across multiple genres. His titles include the novels Romeo & Juliet Vs. Zombies, Zombie Run, and Secession, as well as the graphic novels 442—chronicling the legendary Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat Team—and Santa Vs. Zombies.
Teaching, Fellowships & Background
Sakai serves as an instructor in screenwriting at UCLA Extension and has previously taught at the University of Southern California, Chapman University, New York Film Academy, and International Technological University. He has served as a screenwriting judge for the Humanitas Prize and is an alumnus of Film Independent’s Project: Involve and the Producers Guild of America’s Power of Diversity Workshop.
He holds a Master of Professional Writing (MPW) from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Sakai is based in Southern California, where he lives with his wife, son, and their dog.
https://linktr.ee/kojistevensakai
