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...on the horizon.

Press Release

U.S. Anime Heavyweights Form Joint Production Venture
anounced on 2004-10-05
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U.S. ANIME HEAVYWEIGHTS FORM JOINT PRODUCTION VENTURE


CANNES, FRANCE October 5, 2004 - The three largest producers and distributors of Anime in America - ADV Films, Inc., Funimation Productions LTD and Geneon Entertainment (USA) Inc. - announced plans to form a joint venture for the development and marketing of Anime. The announcement was made here today at MIPCOM by John Ledford, CEO and President, ADV Films, Kevin Corcoran, Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer, ADV Films; Gen Fukunaga, President, Funimation Productions LTD, Daniel Cocanougher, Vice President; Funimation Productions LTD; Yosuke Kobayashi, President and CEO, Geneon Entertainment (USA) Inc. and Hideki Goto, Vice President, Business Development, Geneon Entertainment (USA) Inc.

The new joint venture will focus on developing high quality entertainment series primarily targeted to children and young adults, where the team can best maximize their respective resources, talent and expertise.

The synergy of these companies is impressive as together they reach 70 percent of the Anime home video market in the United States.

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. and the company is best known as the distributor of the well-known Anime hits Pokemon and Akira.

Funimation (www.funimation.com) is a leading brand management company for Anime content and one of the nation's largest independent home video entertainment companies. Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, the company is best known for creating the blockbuster franchise "Dragonball Z" in the U.S.

ADV Films is a leading producer-distributor of Japanese animation ("anime") for the North American market and has also developed a leadership position in the UK. Headquartered in Houston, the company has also launched the Anime Network, first cable channel in North America dedicated to anime with access to thousand of hours of exciting, eye-catching serialized programming.

 

[BlackMage]

god damnit!! i hate funimation!!!!!

 

[Dead]

hahahaha

 

[EviLore]

Come on, guys, roll out the naruto license on the same day the filler arc ends. I want to see the rioting in the streets.

 

[NotMSRP]

I'll take Funimation over 4Kids any day.

 

[Spiritreaver]

Come on, guys, roll out the naruto license on the same day the filler arc ends. I want to see the rioting in the streets.

I share this visioning. Nothing more fun than finally seeing Naruto fans cry about something.

 

[Rorschach]

Shit, I better catch up while I still can.

 

[BlackMage]

I'll take Funimation over 4Kids any day.

yer right on that but still!

 

[MetatronM]

Come on, guys, roll out the naruto license on the same day the filler arc ends. I want to see the rioting in the streets.

Lord would that be terrible. :lol

Anyway, at least with a group this gigantic roaming around, the chances of 4Kids snagging Naruto are lower.

As long as whoever grabs it puts out unedited DVDs and somebody continues subbing it (AonE might and probably A-H too), then it's all good.