FROM THE MANGA TO THE MOVIE: TIGER MASK RETURNS!
Fabula Pictures, Kōdansha Ltd. and Brandon Box announce the international co-production of an action film shot in Italy and Japan.
Fabula Pictures srl, Kōdansha Ltd., and Brandon Box srl announce that they have signed a partnership agreement for the development and production of a live-action feature film based on the story of “Tiger Mask” best known in Italy as “L’Uomo Tigre“.
“Tiger Mask has been a long-loved figure both in Japan and Italy as a strong, cool, and timeless hero since its first release in 1969”. Says Yohei Takami, head of Kōdansha’s Rights/Media Business – “We are excited to be able to bring a new Tiger Mask to global audiences, partnering with respected Italian filmmakers sharing the love and passion for Tiger Mask with us, like Fabula Pictures and Brandon Box”.
Written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Naoki Tsuji, the original Tiger Mask manga was published in Japan from 1968 to 1971 by Kōdansha Publishing House in Bokura Magazine (1968–1969) and Weekly Shonen Magazine (1970–1971). Kajiwara (1936-1987) was one of the great masters of Japanese manga and in addition to Tiger Mask he created cult series such as Tommy the Star Of The Giants, dedicated to baseball, and the masterpiece Rocky Joe which tells the story of a young boxer. The Tiger Mask manga is published in Italy by Panini Comics and inspired a very popular anime series that aired in Italy for the first time in 1984.
THE ORIGINAL STORY
Set in the late 1960s, the Tiger Mask manga tells the story of a ruthless professional wrestler, who arrives in Japan after shaking the American rings. The scary mask of the tiger actually hides Naoto Date, a young man with a heart of gold who donates the proceeds of his encounters to the orphanage where he himself was raised as a child. But Tiger’s Den, the ferocious organization that trained him and made him Tiger Mask, does not tolerate one of its fighters rebelling and sentences him to death. With the courage that has always distinguished him, Naoto then decides not to bow to blackmail and faces one after the other the terrible opponents in charge of killing him.
“We are proud to announce this ambitious project,” commented Marco and Nicola De Angelis, co-managing CEOs of Fabula Pictures, “which confirms our passion for the search for universal stories, capable of exciting and involving both the national audience and the international public. This partnership with Brandon Box and Kōdansha represents an important step in our company’s strategic positioning in the audiovisual production scene.”
Andrea Sgaravatti, CEO of Brandon Box, adds: “The passion for manga and anime that has always distinguished Brandon Box has very deep roots. It was born in the stories that marked our childhood, such as that of Tiger Mask. A deep story, which conquered us as children and helped us to grow and struggle during adolescence. We are convinced that the modern adaptation we are working on with two amazing partners like Fabula Pictures and Kōdansha will take us on an extraordinary journey.”
The film, with a strong international scope, will be set between Italy and Japan and, in the tradition of the property, will see a new protagonist wearing the mask of the tiger.
Press release from Boom PR.
