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UK-China Media Group Strikes Deal with Japanese Producer for Go Astro Boy Go! Distribution Rights

The Media Pioneers and Tezuka Productions strike a deal in which the UK-China media group acquires distribution rights for Go Astro Boy Go! By Ching Wai.

UK - The Media Pioneers (TMP) acquires distribution rights for North America and Europe, except France, for the children’s animated series Go Astro Boy Go! in a deal with Japanese producer Tezuka Productions. The action adventure comedy has 52 episodes of 13 minutes, and follows the adventures of Astro Boy as he tackles disasters and fights crime.

Go Astro Boy Go! is adapted from the original 1963 animated TV series Astro Boy, and continues the story of the iconic manga originally named Mighty Atom by Osamu Tezuka. Astro Boy is an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) with the appearance of a human boy. Along with Astro Kitty, another AI, and Suzu, a human girl, Astro Boy goes on adventures to solve the planet’s problems - from conflicts between different species, to environmental crises caused by human activities, to natural disasters and phenomena.

The Astro Boy brand is a worldwide sensation, amounting to over 2.64 billion USD for global sales of related products. It is especially popular in Japan, France and the U.S., countries where Astro Boy became the first anime aired. Astro Boy is one of the best-selling manga series in history, and is Tezuka’s most recognisable superhero.

Maggie Liang, Managing Director of TMP, said of the acquisition, ““We are thrilled to have Go Astro Boy Go! in our catalogue. 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."

TMP is a UK-China media group that focuses on distributing children’s content and feature films across global broadcasting platforms. The company also co-produces projects and provides consultation services through a production arm based in the UK.

Notable works from Tezuka Productions are Marvelous Melmo, the 1980 and 2003 Astro Boy series, and Black Jack.

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