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Ron Perlman and Kelly Hu Join Cast of Afro Samurai(R)
Renowned Action Adventure Stars Appear in New Animated Series Premieres on
January 4, 2007 on SPIKE
NEW YORK, Oct. 30 -- Renowned action adventure stars Ron
Perlman and Kelly Hu will be joining Academy Award(R)-nominated actor
Samuel L. Jackson in "Afro Samurai." The five-part animated series is
produced by Japanese studio Gonzo in association/partnership with GHK K.K.
and FUNimation and premieres on SPIKE Thursday, January 4, 2007.
"Afro Samurai" is the animated epic, based on a graphic novel by
Takashi Okazaki, of a black samurai's hunt for the gunman who murdered his
father. Samuel L. Jackson executive-produces and stars as the
uncompromising hero, Afro, in this stylish series that crosses cultural
boundaries as a fusion of animated samurai action and hip-hop culture.
Revolutionary rap artist and producer The RZA is crafting original music
for the series.
Ron Perlman will give voice to Justice, the six-shooter wielding gunman
who kills Afro's father and becomes the sole focus of Afro Samurai's quest
for revenge.
"We're really excited to have the passion and skills of Ron Perlman on
board for 'Afro Samurai.' He loves the genre, has tons of experience in the
science fiction world, and brings a deep understanding and respect to the
material," said Eric Calderon, vice-president of creative affairs at GDH
K.K. "We're also ecstatic that such a charming and talented actor like
Kelly Hu is joining us as well. Her excitement for the show really
validates Afro Samurai as a breakout piece with enormous mass appeal."
Perlman is arguably best known for bringing comic book hero Hellboy to
life as well as his Golden Globe winning and Emmy-nominated portrayal of
the title character in the television series "Beauty and the Beast." Among
his scores of other credits are "Star Trek: Nemesis," "Blade II," "Enemy at
the Gates," "Alien: Resurrection" and "The Island of Dr. Moreau." He has
also appeared in a number of television movies and Broadway plays.
"Aside from the opportunity to work with Sam Jackson, whom I admire
intensely, the animation of gonzo is as startlingly cutting edge and
exciting as anything I've seen to date -- and that includes 56 years of
cartoon watching!" said Perlman.
Kelly Hu brings life to Okiku, a friend from Afro Samurai's past who is
forced to betray those she loves in order to save one most dear to her. Hu
co-starred in "X2: X-Men United" as well as "Cradle 2 the Grave" and "The
Scorpion King." Currently, Hu is shooting a half-hour comedy for ABC titled
"In Case of Emergency." Her other TV credits include Martial Law, Sunset
Beach and Nash Bridges.
"It's an honor to be working with such amazing talent on this great
project. I've been a huge fan of both Samuel Jackson and Ron Pearlman,"
said Hu. "Afro Samurai brings animation to a whole new level."
FUNimation Entertainment is set to release "AFRO SAMUARI" on DVD in
spring 2007.
About FUNimation Entertainment
So it should read: FUNimation(R) Entertainment, a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Navarre Corporation (Nasdaq: NAVR), is the leading company
for home video sales of Japanese animation in the United States. The
company's most recent initiative is the FUNimation Channel(SM), a new,
24-hour digital network featuring programming from the top anime brands in
the United States. FUNimation has a proven formula for launching and
advancing brands, and manages a full spectrum of rights for most of its
brands including broadcasting, licensing, production, internet, and home
video sales and distribution.
About GDH K.K.
GDH (Security code: TSE Mothers 3755) is a globally-focused Japanese
media company founded in February 2000. The group produces cutting edge
entertainment for teens and young adults including the famous GONZO
animation brand and for kids and family under the recently launched Gonzo
Films and Gonzino brands. GDH is a world leader in content development that
targets both domestic and international audiences with Japan's
trend-setting animation culture and, usually, GDH controls licensing
management and international distribution for the content it produces. GDH
group companies include GONZO K.K., G-creators K.K., Future Vision Music
K.K., GONZINO K.K., GONZO Rosso Online K.K., GDH Capital K.K., and GK
Entertainment K.K.
About SPIKE
SPIKE is available in more than 90 million homes and is a division of
MTV Networks. MTV Networks is a unit of Viacom International.
SOURCE Spike TV
http://www.spiketv.com
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