Amin Abbas

DUBAI: The Toei Company announced three major projects in accordance with the 50th anniversary of Kamen Rider series that was created and launched in 1971 by the late legendary Japanese artist Shotaro Ishimori.

The artist became an influential figure in manga, anime, and tokusatsu, creating several immensely popular long-running series such as Cyborg 009, the Kamen Rider series and the Super Sentai series.

The first project was Fuuto PI, an anime series based on Futo Tantei manga story, written by Sanjo Riku and Sato Masaki. The anime serves as a sequel for Kamen Rider W series that was released in 2009.

Fuuto PI is the first animated series for Kamen Rider franchise and will be released in summer 2022.

The second project was Kamen Rider Black Sun, a reboot series of the original series Kamen Rider Black that was released in 1987.

Kamen Rider Black Sun will be directed by Shiraishi Kazuya for its summer 2022 release.

The director said: “The thought of being in charge of this amazing reboot of Kamen Rider Black gives me the shivers. I’m going to need to rely on every bit of my skill to ensure I don’t get crushed by 50 years of Kamen Rider history. I want the tragic story of Kohtaro Minami and Nobuhiko Akizuki to carve a new niche in the chronicles of Japanese heroes. I plan on giving it my best & I hope everyone will see it.”

The third and major project announced was Shin Kamen Rider Film, an upcoming live action movie that is written and directed by Hideaki Anno. The film is being produced in order to create “an entertainment that even those who don’t know the original show can enjoy.”

Director Anno said: “50 years ago, almost every elementary school boy was enthralled by the life-size hero Kamen Rider and I was one of them. I launched this project out of the desire to give back a little for the great gifts I received from the TV shows five decades ago, in the form of a movie that fulfils the dreams of a child into adulthood, one that captures the childhood dreams that remain in the hearts of grownups.”

Anno mentioned that the project launched with the first planning notes six years ago. However, the production schedule was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, so the opening date has been pushed back about two years later than previously planned.