Sony Pictures’ Crunchyroll anime streaming service has ordered a remake of the anime series “Trigun,” based on a popular manga series by Yasuhiro Nightow.
“Trigun Stampede” will be produced in Japan by animation studio Orange and Toho. Details about the series are set to be unveiled July 2 during Anime Expo 2022 in downtown Los Angeles.
The series is based on the popular action manga series by Yasuhiro Nightow that “follows the story of Vash the Stampede, a legendary gunman and a pacifist with a bounty on his head,” according to Crunchyroll. It was produced as an anime series “Trigun” in 1998. In 2010, it was adapted as a feature film, “Trigun: Badlands Rumble,” from director Satoshi Nishimura and studio Madhouse.
Nightow and producers of the new series slated to appear on stage to discuss “Trigun Stampede.” Panelists, according to Crunchyroll, will include designer Kouji Tajima, Orange producers Kiyotaka Waki and Yoshihiro Watanabe and Toho’s Katsuhiro Takei.
Crunchyroll was acquired last year from AT&T’s Otter Media by Sony Pictures’ Funimation Group for $1.1 billion. It’s a sign of Sony Pictures’ increasing investment in the distinctive style of animation that travels widely and has strong worldwide following. Crunchyroll will carry “Trigun Stampede” on its streaming app platform that reaches more than 200 countries around the world.
Crunchyroll now operates as a joint venture of Sony Pictures Entertainment and a subsidiary of Sony Music.
In April, as Crunchyroll saw its CEO depart, Keith Le Goy, chairman of distribution and networks for Sony Pictures and the executive overseeing Funimation Group, emphasized Sony’s enthusiasm for anime as a content genre.
The anime business, Le Goy said, “is stronger than ever and remains a vital part of our overall strategy at SPE and Sony Group. It’s a fantastic time for the business and for the growing global anime fan community. We are seeing substantial subscriber growth and are looking forward to some incredible new content coming to the service in the months ahead.”
