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Tag: Virgin Comics

  • Jump Games, Virgin Comics tie-up for worldwide release of mobile games

    Jump Games, Virgin Comics tie-up for worldwide release of mobile games

    MUMBAI: Jump Games, mobile and web games developer and publisher has joined hands with Virgin Comics in an agreement to expand the Virgin Comics Shakti series characters into mobile games. With this association, action and role-playing games based on three Virgin Comics properties – Devi, The Sadhu and Ramayan 3392 AD are slated to launch globally in January, March and April 2007 respectively.

    Jump Games (previously Paradox Studios) CEO Salil Bhargava told Indiantelvision.com that the company had lined up telecom operators across the globe for this worldwide release including DoCoMo in Japan, Horizon in US, Vodafone in Europe. Ofcourse, in India he emphasised that they were in talks with all mobile players including the usual suspects Reliance, BSNL and Idea. The price points will be based on a pay-per download system as per expected rates.

    All these mobile games contain multiple levels of game challenges with varying difficulties. Jump Games has developed the mobile applications and will be responsible for marketing the games worldwide.

    These comics were released across the US and UK four months ago however, the titles have not yet arrived in India, the company is targeting December end for its launch. In addition, the comany is also looking at releasing localised versions of the same across Europe by the end Q1 ’07.

    There is a need to build the comic industry in India by targeting primarily Indian youth (15-25 year olds) which comprises the voice of a new generation, says Virgin Comics CEO Sharad Devarajan.

    Commenting on the new relationship filmmaker and Virgin Comics co-founder Shekhar Kapur said, “Mobile Gaming is predicted to be the fastest growing sector in the entertainment business worldwide, and I am excited by our collaboration with Jump Games. The clearly stated intention of Virgin comics, and indeed my personal ambition has been to showcase Indian talent to bring it to the forefront of international entertainment. I am sure that together we will create some of the most successful mobile gaming platforms in the world.”

    Bhargava said, “Virgin is one of the world’s most powerful youth brands and collaborating with Virgin Comics on this venture has been an excellent experience. Virgin’s larger-than-life characters provide us with a tremendous scope to recreate the magic of a comic book both on 2D as well as 3D gaming platforms. Our games based on the Shakti series are not only suited well for Indian audiences but also have a strong global appeal. Working with Virgin Comics has been a great start for Jump’s vision and focus on emerging as a leader in 2D and 3D Mobile gaming.”

    In addition to Devi which depicts an Indian female superhero created by Shekhar Kapur, Ramayan 3392 AD is a futuristic sci-fi story inspired by the original Ramayan mythology, also created by Kapur along with author Deepak Chopra. The third is The Sadhu, which follows the story of a British soldier who discovers the mystical powers of Indian sadhus. Actor Nicolas Cage has been roped in to play the role of The Sadhu in the feature film. A fourth mobile application based on Deepak Chopra’s recent book Kama Sutra will explore Chopra’s views on the connection between spirituality and sexuality.

  • Virgin Comics & Tiger Hill launch ‘Seven Brothers’ in Yahoo’s Time Capsule

    Virgin Comics & Tiger Hill launch ‘Seven Brothers’ in Yahoo’s Time Capsule

    MUMBAI: Virgin Comics and Tiger Hill Entertainment have announced that their new comic John Woo’s Seven Brothers is available online exclusively through Yahoo!’s Internet Time Capsule, an electronic anthropology archive.

    Seven Brothers is the initial launch in Virgin Comic’s “Director’s Cut” imprint, which for the first time allows the world’s top filmmakers to incubate stories and characters in comic book form for further development into film and animation, informs an official release.

    Developed by popular Hollywood director John Woo (Face Off, Mission Impossible 2) and Tiger Hill Entertainment in collaboration with Sir Richard Branson’s newly formed comic book media company, Virgin Comics, the inaugural issue of Seven Brothers takes place in contemporary Los Angeles and follows a global epic spanning seven centuries and seven continents featuring a cast of international characters, each with supernatural abilities.

    While the debut issue of Seven Brothers will be released in the US on 18 October, an exclusive digital version of the comic book will be offered through the Yahoo! Internet Time Capsule, which will be featured on localised Yahoo! home pages around the world, including the most popular home page on the Internet, www.yahoo.com, the release adds.

    “Graphic novels are an exciting new medium for me and I am excited to work with Yahoo! to bring this comic book series to audiences around the world and to preserve it for the future,” says series creator John Woo.

    “John Woo is an international icon who stands at the forefront of creative innovation,” said Sharad Devarajan, CEO of Virgin Comics. “Yahoo! is an excellent partner to help us share this milestone entertainment event with a worldwide audience.”

    In collaboration with John Woo, Seven Brothers is written by renowned comic book author, Garth Ennis. Ennis, whose work includes the action comic titles Punisher and Preacher, is regarded as one of the industry’s bestselling and most critically acclaimed writers.

  • Virgin Comics to produce ‘Secrets of the Seven Sounds’

    Virgin Comics to produce ‘Secrets of the Seven Sounds’

    MUMBAI: Sir Richard Bransons’ Virgin Comics, LLC and Kahani World, Inc. an independent animation company based in Toronto, Canada, have teamed up to co-produce Secrets of the Seven Sounds, a full length animated feature for kids (seven & above age group), inspired by Ramayana.

    In addition to action, adventure and fantasy, Secrets of the Seven Sounds challenges tradition by asking us to consider what it might really be like to be the little brother of the Chosen One? Seven Sounds tells the story of the handsome, naturally gifted, and love-struck Prince Ram whose destiny has chosen him to rescue Princess Sita (the object of his affections) and save the world from the villainous lord Ravan. But the real hero of Seven Sounds is of course, Lux – prince Ram’s 11 year-old little brother – the family’s insightful and often-overlooked intrepid fighter, states an official release.

    “The Ramayan continues to be the bedrock of India’s cultural identity in ways that no other myth can claim,” says Deepak Chopra, best-selling author and chairman of Virgin Comics. “The Seven Sounds’ animated film is a marvelous way to share this story and inspire children around the world.”

    Secrets of the Seven Sounds is already in an advanced stage of development; full production begins in just seven weeks. The feature is in collaboration with Virgin Comics co-founders, Deepak Chopra and Shekhar Kapur (director of Four Feathers, Bandit Queen and the 8-time Oscar nominated Elizabeth) and is based on an original story by Gotham Chopra, Sharad Devarajan and Jeevan Kang. The animated feature will be brought to market in the summer of 2007, the release adds.

    “Our comics and film stories are infused with characters and mythic sensibilities that resonate with audiences around the globe,” says Virgin Comics CEO Sharad Devarajan. “Kahani World shares our vision and understands the importance of epic storytelling. Together we are uniquely positioned to produce an exceptional animated feature, and adapt the film for global merchandising, graphic novels and promotional campaigns.

    Virgin Comic’s chief creative officer Gotham Chopra concluded: “It’s about time the world is exposed to the rich mythology we have stored up in our vaults in India and Asia. With Kahani, we are excited to be bringing one of the greatest Indian legends, re-fashioned, to the world, and in doing so create new planetary myths that people every where can enjoy. This is just the start!”

    “Kahani is focused on creating and producing world-class animation brands that become icons in India, resonate throughout Asia, and also appeal to the audiences around the world,” says animation veteran, CEO and president of Kahani World Inc and Executive Producer of Secret of the Seven Sounds,Biren Ghose. “We aim to put a new spin on storytelling, blending stories that may have an ‘Indian DNA’ but which thrive in the contemporary context and culture of the global kidizen! Virgin Comics and Virgin Animation have succeeded in straddling the East – West paradigm with equal excellence and are an inspiration and benchmark for what Kahani seeks to achieve as a company.”