CANAL+ has landed the rights to kiDnap GAME, a Fuji TV-led thriller co-production, with STUDIOCANAL taking on international distribution rights.
STUDIOCANAL is rolling the series out at MIPCOM this week, scoring rights for North America, Europe and other regions. Filmed in seven countries with an international cast, the multilingual series is produced by Fuji Television Network, MakerVille, and SIMSTORY. CANAL+ has acquired the series for its territories across Europe, French-speaking Africa and Asia.
It launched in Japan on Fuji TV on October 6 and simultaneously arrived across a total of 28 Asian territories, including Korea (Channel A and Disney+), Taiwan (Hami Video / Chunghwa Telecom) and Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and other regions via Viu. The 11×60-minute series is directed and produced by Yusuke Kato.
M-K Kennedy, MD of STUDIOCANAL Worldwide Television, stated, “kiDnap GAME is an exciting example of how creative ambition and international collaboration are shaping the future of premium television. By bringing together outstanding partners from Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea, the series delivers a distinctive proposition for audiences worldwide. We are proud to partner with Fuji Television on this ambitious project and look forward to introducing it to buyers internationally at MIPCOM through STUDIOCANAL’s worldwide distribution network.”
Jean-Marc Juramie, deputy CEO of CANAL+ France in charge of programs and channels, added, “kiDnap GAME is a bold and highly original thriller that combines compelling storytelling with a truly international perspective. This acquisition reflects our ambition as a global entertainment platform to bring the best premium content to CANAL+ audiences across multiple territories and reinforces our commitment to showcasing outstanding creative voices from around the world.”
Kato added, “My initial goal was to create a drama series that would travel around the globe. With those initial thoughts, I came up with kiDnap GAME, which spans seven cities and portrays characters with different nationalities, backgrounds, and cultures, using different languages. Although each is different in its own way, they all share the same desire: to ‘save a loved one.’ I believe this is a feeling that resonates with people no matter where they are in the world.”
