Nippon TV, Japan’s leading multiplatform entertainment company, and Envision Entertainment, a premium media company based in London which specializes in creating international scripted projects with global appeal, have announced a new co-production partnership. The Nippon TV and Envision partnership will see creators from the two companies combine their Western and Eastern sensibilities to develop new scripted projects designed for the global market.
The first project in development is an innovative crime drama series that takes place largely online and is perfect for today’s digitally connected world. The concept is inspired by the successful scripted format “Double Booking” produced and broadcast by Nippon TV in 2020. The crime story unfolds in a shared online world, with a cast of international characters connecting with each other through the internet and using their online research skills to solve mysteries. As the mystery spreads over international borders, the plot thickens in the least expected way.
A Japanese version of the series is slated with the storyline leading directly into an international English language series. Further details of the coproduction will be unveiled later this year.
This is the first in a pipeline of projects between Nippon TV and Envision. The two companies intend to develop a slate of projects based on Japanese properties with international appeal and have already begun discussions with some of Japan’s premiere manga publishers to source IP.
Michael Nakan, Founder, Envision Entertainment, says: “Japan has long between a country which the West has admired from afar, capable of creating world-quality content and developing top-notch IP in their local market. We’re thrilled to partner with one of Japan’s most storied media organisations, Nippon TV, and to work directly with Japanese creative talent to create innovative projects which are organic collaborations between Eastern and Western creatives. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with Nippon TV to internationalise Japanese content and creatives.”
Itaru Mizuno, Creative Director of “Double Booking”, Production Division, Nippon TV, says: “I have already witnessed great chemistry that happened by the encounter of the Japanese and UK creative teams. It is so exciting to see an Asian narrative being elevated into something universal through this partnership. We are confident of creating a totally unprecedented series full of elements from our modern world where we interact both online and off.”
Sayako Aoki, Business Producer, International Business Development, Nippon TV, says: “The greatest asset we have is our in-house creators with their unique ideas and spirit of challenge which will be essential to this great opportunity. What we are planning to do is to combine a great story with an innovative format to deliver to the global market and I cannot wait to see how our story expands beyond borders.”
