files/pictures/picture-35.jpgPress Release from The Indomina Group
Los Angeles, CA – July 21, 2011 – It was announced today that The Indomina Group, the fast-growing U.S. and Dominican Republic based producer and distributor of film, TV and trans-media content, is teaming with Samuel L. Jackson and Gonzo Studios to produce a new live action film based on the popular “Afro Samurai” animated series that has spawned an impressive franchise and a global following. The announcement was made by Indomina Group Vice Chairman and CEO Jasbinder Singh Mann who will serve as producer with Samuel L. Jackson and Gonzo Studios’ Shin Ishikawa. Eli Selden of Anonymous Content is executive producing.
Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson has been close to the franchise for a number of years having voiced Afro Samurai for the 2007 anime TV mini-series “Afro Samurai” and again for the 2009 Emmy® winning animated TV movie “Afro Samurai: Resurrection.”
Said Jackson, “This has been one of my very favorite properties ever since our amazing debut at Comic Con with the original series pilot out of Japan. I can't wait to produce the epic feature film version with our new partners at The Indomina Group.”
“When Indomina was launched, ‘Afro Samurai’ was quickly identified as the perfect property for us to option and exploit through our vertical channels targeted to a fanboy audience,” said Singh Mann. “We never took our eyes off the property and are very pleased to not only have the opportunity now to make an extraordinary film, but to do it with Samuel L. Jackson, who is just as passionate about ‘Afro Samurai’ as we are. This is a perfect collaboration in the eyes of Indomina. We look forward to going to work with Sam and Gonzo on this and making something discernibly unique.”
Producers plan to attach a writer and director this summer and complete casting by the end of the year. The film will be shot at Pinewood Indomina Studios in the Dominican Republic in 2012.
Indomina optioned the rights to “Afro Samurai” from Japanese rights holder Gonzo and will make “Afro Samurai” the first feature film production from The Indomina Group, which over the last six months has debuted its North American distribution arm (Indomina Releasing), international sales division (Indomina International) and Studio operations and facilities (Pinewood Indomina Studios).
Stacey Smart Stanley is overseeing the project’s development for Indomina while Chris Carlisle will be point person for Gonzo.
About Afro Samurai
Afro Samurai is a Japanese seinen dōjinshi manga series written and illustrated by manga artist Takashi Okazaki. It was originally serialized irregularly in the avant-garde dōjinshi manga magazine Nou Nou Hau from September 1999 to May 2000. Inspired by Takashi Okazaki's love of soul and hip hop music and American media, Afro Samurai follows the life of Afro Samurai who witnessed his father (owner of the No. 1 headband) being killed by the hands of a gunslinger named Justice (owner of the No. 2 headband) while he was a child. As an adult, Afro sets off to avenge his father's death and kill Justice.
The Afro Samurai dōjinshi was adapted into a 5-episode anime TV series by Studio Gonzo in 2007. The same studio also went on to produce a made-for-TV movie sequel entitled Afro Samurai: Resurrection in 2009, which gained two Emmy nominations, for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation, which it won, and Outstanding Animated Program. After the release of the anime series, Takashi Okazaki remade the original Afro Samurai dōjinshi into a two-volume manga.
In addition to the success of the anime series, Afro Samurai has also been adapted into a video game. For the TV series and the film, two soundtracks by the RZA of Wu-Tang Clan have been released as well as a profile book in Japan.
For more information please visit the official movie website AfroSamuraiTheMovie.com.
About Indomina:
The Indomina Group is a vertically integrated independent studio launched in 2008 by Vice Chairman and CEO Jasbinder Singh Mann.
Operating in Los Angeles and the Dominican Republic, Indomina takes a transmedia approach to collaborating with content creators around the world to bring innovative entertainment properties to the market.
The company’s global operations include the production and distribution of motion pictures, television, music, interactive games, and the ownership of world-class studio facilities and production services.
Earlier this year, Indomina Releasing, the North American distribution division of the The Indomina Group, inked an exclusive multi-year distribution deal with Vivendi Entertainment that spans home video, digital, internet, television, VOD and mobile platforms and reinforces Indomina’s strategy to establish a leadership position in the independent film market, focusing on genre based content and creating a destination for young, dedicated consumers of the fanboy culture.
The company most recently released Yuen Woo Ping’s martial arts feature "True Legend," starring Vincent Zhao, Zhou Xun, Michelle Yeoh and the late David Carradine. Indomina’s next release will be the quirky romantic comedy “Griff the Invisible,” starring Ryan Kwanten, which opens in select markets on August 19, 2011.
The Indomina Group has also partnered with world-renowned Pinewood Studios Group, to build, operate, manage and market a new state-of-the-art film and television studio facility in the Dominican Republic. “Pinewood Indomina Studios” will be a full-service, world-class production facility for film, TV, and other related media content.
For more information please visit
www.indomina.com .
About GONZO K.K.
GONZO KK is a globally-focused Japanese media company founded in February 2000. The group produces cutting-edge entertainment for teens and young adults through the renowned GONZO animation brand, while children and family content is produced under the Gonzo Films and Gonzino brands. GONZO K.K. is a world leader in content developed for both domestic Japanese and international audiences, effectively leveraging Japan's trend-setting animation culture and the internationally recognized GONZO brand. Usually, GONZO controls licensing and international distribution for the content it produces. GONZO group companies include Future Vision Music K.K. and GONZINO K.K.
