News
HoriPro Agency Acquires Stake in Anime Studio Tatsunoko
posted on by Egan Loo
The major entertainment talent agency HoriPro announced on Wednesday that it acquired a 13.5% stake in the anime studio Tatsunoko Production.
Tatsunoko Production celebrated its 50th anniversary last year with the Ippatsu Hicchū!! Devander anime. It holds the rights to Gatchaman, the Time Bokan franchise, and other anime titles popular in Japan and overseas.
HoriPro has primarily been involved with the management of artists and talent, as well as with the production of entertainment content, in the domestic Japanese market. With this stake in Tatsunoko, HoriPro plans to enhance the business and branding of both companies and increase its company value.
For the past five years, HoriPro has been involved in concerts in the anime song field (including internationally popular artist May'n) and anime festivals. With this latest move, it aims to expand its prospects in the overseas marketplace for Japanese entertainment and artists.
Tatsunoko became a subsidiary of the Japanese toy conglomerate Takara-Tomy in 2005-2006. Before Wednesday's latest acquisition news, IG Port (the parent company of Production I.G, Xebec, Mag Garden, and the new Wit Studio) acquired a 11.2% stake in Tatsunoko in 2010.
Production company Nikkatsu and the distributor TOHO are adapting the Science Ninja Team Gatchaman anime into a 2013 live-action film with director Tōya Satō (live-action Grave of the Fireflies, Sexy Voice and Robo, Kaiji, Gokusen).
HoriPro President Yoshitaka Hori will serve as a nonexecutive company director of Tatsunoko.
Source: Oricon
