LOS ANGELES & HONG KONG — (BUSINESS WIRE) — July 2, 2017 — George Takei is officially diving into the world of mobile games, joining Hollywood games company Fifth Journey as a Creative Director.
In his first collaboration with the company, Takei will help develop new content and promote the mobile game based on LAIKA’s Academy Award®-nominated motion picture, ’Kubo and the Two Strings‘. The game, called ‘Kubo: A Samurai Quest’ has been developed by Fifth Journey in partnership with Universal Brand Development and LAIKA, which also garnered Oscar® nominations for its films, Coraline, ParaNorman and The Box Trolls.
“Kubo is the story of a young samurai’s magical quest to save his family,” remarked Takei, an award- winning actor who co-starred in the original motion picture. “It’s a beautifully crafted film and I’m thrilled to be working with Fifth Journey on the game.”
As Creative Director at Fifth Journey, Takei will reprise his role from the film and help bring LAIKA’s innovative and exhilarating story to mobile game audiences around the world. Aside from helping Fifth Journey develop additional characters and storylines for the game, Takei will also promote the game on social media, where he is one of the most influential personalities in Hollywood.
“George is an amazing storyteller and one of the first in Hollywood to bridge east and west,” remarked Eric Tan, co-founder of Fifth Journey. “We couldn’t have asked for a more inspired individual to join our company, and to help bring Kubo’s magic to game audiences on both sides of the Pacific.”
Takei’s collaboration with Fifth Journey follows the company’s launch in February 2016 alongside partnerships with Universal Pictures, Lionsgate and MGM. The company, founded by a team of acclaimed entertainment executives from Universal, Disney, Electronic Arts and LucasArts, is a developer of next-generation games and interactive entertainment for major Hollywood studios.
‘Kubo: A Samurai Quest’ is scheduled for release globally on June 30th. The game has been in limited release since August 2016 and can be downloaded for both iOS and Android platforms via the following link: https://kubo.onelink.me/637946220?pid=PR&c=Takei.
About Fifth Journey
Fifth Journey is an interactive entertainment company headquartered in Hong Kong and partnered with major Hollywood Studios to develop next generation mobile games, interactive platforms and virtual reality entertainment. The Company’s shareholders and strategic partners include Universal Pictures, Lionsgate and MGM.
Fifth Journey was founded by a team of acclaimed game developers and entertainment executives responsible for some of the biggest interactive hits in Hollywood including major titles for Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Disney, Universal Pictures and Fox. The company, founded in 2015, maintains head office in Hong Kong with creative operations based in San Francisco and studio operations around the world.
Corporate website: www.fifth-journey.com
About NBCUniversal Brand Development
NBCUniversal Brand Development globally drives expansion of the company’s intellectual properties, franchises, characters and stories through innovative physical and digital products, content, and consumer experiences. Along with franchise brand management, NBCUniversal Brand Development’s core businesses include Consumer Products, Games and Digital Platforms, and Live Entertainment based on the company's extensive portfolio of intellectual properties created by Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation, and NBCUniversal cable and television. NBCUniversal Brand Development is a business segment of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, and part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.
About LAIKA
Fueled by the vision of its owner, Nike co-founder and former Chairman Philip H. Knight, and its President & CEO Travis Knight, feature film animation studio LAIKA celebrated its 10th anniversary in December, 2015. Located just outside Portland, Oregon, LAIKA was awarded a Scientific and Technology Oscar® for its innovation in 3D printing in 2016. Its four films, Kubo and the Two Strings (2016); The Boxtrolls (2014); ParaNorman (2012), and Coraline (2009) were all nominated for Oscars® and PGA Awards as Outstanding Animated Film. Kubo, which marked the directorial debut of Travis Knight, also received an Oscar® nomination for Outstanding Visual Effects. Kubo won the BAFTA Award as well as three Annie Awards, the National Board of Review and 19 regional and critics’ group awards. The Boxtrolls also earned Critics’ Choice and Golden Globe Award nominations and 13 Annie Award nominations, more than any other film that year. ParaNorman garnered BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, and GLAAD Media Award nominations and won two Annie Awards and was cited as the year’s best animated film by 14 critics’ groups. Coraline earned Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Critics’ Choice nominations, and was named one of the year’s 10 Best Films by the American Film Institute (AFI). For more information, visit http://www.LAIKA.com.
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