TV cult classic 'Takeshi's Castle' to get reboot on Amazon Prime Video
Television cult classic Takeshi's Castle will be staging a comeback in 2023.
Amazon Prime Video announced during a showcase event in Tokyo last March 30 that it will reboot the iconic '80s game show, with the provisional title Fukkatsu! Fuun! Takeshi-jo (Revival! Turbulence! Takeshi Castle).
In the show, some 100 participants undergo a variety of complex yet comical physical challenges. Host Takeshi Kitano or Beat Takeshi, now 75, is set to return for the reboot.
The original Takeshi's Castle aired on the Tokyo Broadcasting System from 1986 to 1990. It was also broadcast in several regions, including the United States, Britain, South America, and Asia.
It has inspired a genre of game shows involving physical challenges, as well as other media. Some viewers have also speculated that it inspired Netflix's breakout South Korean hit Squid Game.
Amazon also announced that six Japanese projects will be on its platform soon:
- Modern Love Tokyo, local adaptation of American romantic anthology series Modern Love
- My Lovely Yokai Girlfriend, young adult romantic horror adventure-comedy series
- Angel Flight, movie adaptation of Ryota Kosawa's bestseller of the same name
- The Masked Singer second season
- The Bachelorette Japan second season
- Bake Off Japan first season
The TV channel will also broadcast the World Bantamweight title fight between Japan's Naoya Inoue and the Philippines's Nonito Donaire on June 7.
“We’re very much focused on investing in the best Japanese talent to deliver the highest quality content for our Prime Video customers in Japan,” said Erika North, Amazon Studios head of Originals, Asia Pacific. “We believe that putting the spotlight on the very best stories from Japanese creators will not only excite our Japanese viewers, but also audiences around the world.”