‘The Walking Dead’ Maker Skybound Sets Up Shop In Japan
EXCLUSIVE: The Walking Dead maker Skybound Entertainment is expanding to Japan.
Skybound Japan will bolster the LA-headquartered outfit’s international presence, with a focus on Japanese IP and anime, coming almost seven years after Skybound North opened in Vancouver.
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The Japanese arm of the Walking Dead and Invincible studio will be led by Ash Nukui, producer of The Sniffer and Memoir of A Teenage Amnesiac, who used to work for Bandai Namco Group. Skybound said the hub “marks a significant step towards achieving even greater global recognition and impact, placing Skybound in the center of the most robust market for manga and anime across TV, film and video games.”
Robert Kirkman and David Alpert’s company has been quietly doing more work in Japan over the past year, first investing in anime distributor Remow and then partnering with local network Fuji TV on an adaptation of graphic novel Heart Attack, with Skybound distributing globally and Fuji producing and broadcasting locally.
Heart Attack will officially be Skybound Japan’s first project. The series explores a post-pandemic world where gene therapy has saved the human race from disease.
“As lifelong fans of Japanese content, the opportunity to help bring these stories to life in live action and anime is a dream come true,” said Rick Jacobs, Skybound’s Managing Partner of Linear Content.
“The adaptation of Heart Attack is just the beginning of what we hope to achieve in the Japanese market.”
More international Skybound expansion is in the offing, we understand.
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