Geneon Acquires Appleseed
GENEON ENTERTAINMENT ACQUIRES ONE OF THE YEAR'S MOST ANTICIPATED ANIME FEATURE FILMS
Deal Includes Theatrical And Home Video Distribution Across The Globe
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Geneon Entertainment, a division of Dentsu Inc. (Tokyo Stock Exchange #4324), announced today the acquisition for worldwide distribution theatrical and home video rights, excluding Japan and Korea, for the feature film Appleseed. Leaders in introducing anime to new audiences around the world, Geneon Entertainment acquired the rights from Micott & Basara.
The North American theatrical distribution is tentatively scheduled for late Summer 2004, followed by a home video release. Appleseed marks the first film under the new
Geneon Films umbrella; a division dedicated to marketing and distributing live action and other animated feature films from Japan and Asia, around the world. Geneon Entertainment also acquired North American and European distribution rights for
Tetsujin 28th. The company has released the anime masterpiece Akira, Patlabor WXIII and the Japanese blockbuster hit Onmyoji.
Based on the manga story by Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell) and directed by Shinji Aramaki (Bubblegum Crisis), Appleseed features a groundbreaking animation style, “3D Live Anime,” utilizing motion capture animation techniques. Appleseed was released theatrically in Japan earlier this year.
“Long before its debut during the American Film Market in February, the buzz about Appleseed has grown at a rapid rate,” said Yosuke Kobayashi, president/CEO.
Geneon Entertainment. “The animation style is like none other, and anime gurus, curious fans and general audiences will be attracted to this amazing sci-fi adventure.”
With eye-popping, in-your-face visuals, Appleseed boasts a new form animation called "3D Live Anime." A combination of groundbreaking three-dimensional computer animation, in conjunction with two-dimensional character animation to recreate the best qualities of traditional cel-based anime. The creative team behind the innovative animation style includes director Aramaki and producer Fumihiko Sori, whose credits include CG animation work on Titanic and directing the international sleeper hit
Ping Pong.
Using cutting-edge music as the backdrop for this visual tour de force, the Appleseed soundtrack features an eclectic mix of music from around the world, including new
tracks created by Japanese artists Boom Boom Satellites, world-renowned
DJ/producer Paul Oakenfold (Matrix Reloaded, Swordfish), Ryuichi Sakamoto
(The Last Emperor), Basement Jaxx, among others.
Set in the year 2131, after most of the world has been devastated by war, Appleseed chronicles the battle between mankind and bioroids, a race of cybernetic pseudo-clones designed to aid humans in domestic capacities. But when ideologies flare and aggression rises to the surface, the thin veneer of peaceful coexistence is shattered.
GENEON ENTERTAINMENT (USA) INC. (www.Geneon-Ent.Com) is a full-service producer and distributor of entertainment content including film, music, animation and television shows on VHS, DVD and CD. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Geneon Entertainment's parent company is Tokyo-based advertising giant Dentsu Inc.
Dentsu Inc., founded in 1901, is the largest advertising agency brand and the fifth largest marketing and communications organization in the world. Based in Tokyo, Dentsu offers national, multinational and global clients the most comprehensive range of advertising and marketing services through its unique "Total Communications Services" approach. Dentsu has pioneered and set global standards for integrated communications, which in latter years have been adopted by a number of major international networks. The group has more than 6,000 clients and 14,447 full-time employees in both Japan and in its offices overseas. Consolidated billings (net sales) for fiscal term 02/03 were recorded at ¥1,692.9 billion. Dentsu is publicly quoted on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Deal Includes Theatrical And Home Video Distribution Across The Globe
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Geneon Entertainment, a division of Dentsu Inc. (Tokyo Stock Exchange #4324), announced today the acquisition for worldwide distribution theatrical and home video rights, excluding Japan and Korea, for the feature film Appleseed. Leaders in introducing anime to new audiences around the world, Geneon Entertainment acquired the rights from Micott & Basara.
The North American theatrical distribution is tentatively scheduled for late Summer 2004, followed by a home video release. Appleseed marks the first film under the new
Geneon Films umbrella; a division dedicated to marketing and distributing live action and other animated feature films from Japan and Asia, around the world. Geneon Entertainment also acquired North American and European distribution rights for
Tetsujin 28th. The company has released the anime masterpiece Akira, Patlabor WXIII and the Japanese blockbuster hit Onmyoji.
Based on the manga story by Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell) and directed by Shinji Aramaki (Bubblegum Crisis), Appleseed features a groundbreaking animation style, “3D Live Anime,” utilizing motion capture animation techniques. Appleseed was released theatrically in Japan earlier this year.
“Long before its debut during the American Film Market in February, the buzz about Appleseed has grown at a rapid rate,” said Yosuke Kobayashi, president/CEO.
Geneon Entertainment. “The animation style is like none other, and anime gurus, curious fans and general audiences will be attracted to this amazing sci-fi adventure.”
With eye-popping, in-your-face visuals, Appleseed boasts a new form animation called "3D Live Anime." A combination of groundbreaking three-dimensional computer animation, in conjunction with two-dimensional character animation to recreate the best qualities of traditional cel-based anime. The creative team behind the innovative animation style includes director Aramaki and producer Fumihiko Sori, whose credits include CG animation work on Titanic and directing the international sleeper hit
Ping Pong.
Using cutting-edge music as the backdrop for this visual tour de force, the Appleseed soundtrack features an eclectic mix of music from around the world, including new
tracks created by Japanese artists Boom Boom Satellites, world-renowned
DJ/producer Paul Oakenfold (Matrix Reloaded, Swordfish), Ryuichi Sakamoto
(The Last Emperor), Basement Jaxx, among others.
Set in the year 2131, after most of the world has been devastated by war, Appleseed chronicles the battle between mankind and bioroids, a race of cybernetic pseudo-clones designed to aid humans in domestic capacities. But when ideologies flare and aggression rises to the surface, the thin veneer of peaceful coexistence is shattered.
GENEON ENTERTAINMENT (USA) INC. (www.Geneon-Ent.Com) is a full-service producer and distributor of entertainment content including film, music, animation and television shows on VHS, DVD and CD. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Geneon Entertainment's parent company is Tokyo-based advertising giant Dentsu Inc.
Dentsu Inc., founded in 1901, is the largest advertising agency brand and the fifth largest marketing and communications organization in the world. Based in Tokyo, Dentsu offers national, multinational and global clients the most comprehensive range of advertising and marketing services through its unique "Total Communications Services" approach. Dentsu has pioneered and set global standards for integrated communications, which in latter years have been adopted by a number of major international networks. The group has more than 6,000 clients and 14,447 full-time employees in both Japan and in its offices overseas. Consolidated billings (net sales) for fiscal term 02/03 were recorded at ¥1,692.9 billion. Dentsu is publicly quoted on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
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