UK kids’ content and feature film distributor, The Media Pioneers (TMP) has struck a deal with Japanese producer Tezuka Productions for the action-adventure, comedy series Go Astro Boy Go! The deal sees TMP acquire the distribution rights for North America and Europe (excluding France) for the digital 2D animation series targeted at four- to seven-year-olds.
Go Astro Boy Go! (52 x 13’) follows the adventures of Astro Boy – the most advanced AI with a human boy appearance – as he travels the globe combating disasters and thwarting crimes. Joining him on his journey are teammates Astro Kitty, a kitten-like AI, and Suzu, a super intelligent human girl.
It’s the welfare of the planet that’s at stake. The issues troubling it and its inhabitants are real. Astro Boy is on a mission to help anyone anywhere in the world with a problem involving natural phenomena. It may be a conflict between different species, or an environmental crisis / ecological concern due to human activity, or a naturally occurring phenomenon like the thermal convection that generates a typhoon. Whatever the trouble – be it man-made or natural – our heroes evaluate it and respond to it in superhero style.
Drawing inspiration from the original animated TV series Astro Boy (1963), the latest adaptation continues the legacy of Osamu Tezuka’s manga collection. Garnering over US$2.64 billion of the worldwide sales for related products, Astro Boy became a global sensation, especially in Japan and France, and in the US where it was the first anime to be aired. It remains one of the best-selling manga series of all time and is the most recognisable superhero in Tezuka’s work.
Commenting on the acquisition, The Media Pioneers managing director Maggie Liang said, “This IP is an iconic brand that has garnered global recognition and influence across generations. TMP is honoured to expand the reach of this much-loved brand to more families and kids in Europe and North America.”