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MR-Aftershock
04/18/08, 12:24 AM
Airing for more than 35 years, the live-action kids’ series Kamen Rider boasts more than 840 episodes and 22 movies to date in its home country of Japan. Adness Entertainment is betting that the concept can be as successful around the world and last year established its U.S. headquarters in Los Angeles to focus on developing a new version of the show, Kamen Rider Dragon Knight, for international viewers.

“We toned down the original production to make it suitable for a 6-to-14 demographic worldwide audience,” says Yasuo Matsuo, the CEO of Adness Entertainment’s U.S. office. “We are taking advantage of local state-of-the-art studios to enhance footage of the original series to match the quality of our production. We are also enhancing special effects to match the current production standards. With this, we are adding a taste of Holly wood for the property to be widely accepted.”

Matsuo says that the new version also targets a younger audience than the original. In addition, “the U.S. version will have a more engaging story line and will be simplified for kids to understand.”

Matsuo is optimistic that the series will appeal to international broadcasters, given its enduring appeal in Japan. “The production is well executed, filled with action to attract kids who can imitate and play as Kamen Riders. The series has a wide range of audiences from small kids to fathers. Fathers who used to watch Kamen Rider still like the show, so naturally, their kids start watching the program.”

In addition to sealing broadcast deals, Adness’s U.S. office is developing a merchandising campaign for the series to ensure the broadest possible exposure. “It has a wide range of merchandising and promotional possibilities,” Matsuo says. “Kids watching the series buy licensed products, which helps to widen the series’ exposure by drawing attention from other kids that are unaware of the series.”

Matsuo notes that negotiations for licensed products are at an “advanced stage” in Latin America, where Adness is currently pitching the series to broadcasters. For Europe, Adness is looking at working with some third-party distributors for broadcast and merchandising deals, while the priority for the U.S. is scoring TV placement and developing out a rollout strategy for toys.

As Kamen Rider starts to pick up steam, Matsuo says, the company will look to take on some Japanese anime properties and increase its production slate.