News

The first Kamen Rider series premiered in 1971, and since then there have been dozens of series with different characters, but the best leave lasting impressions on the audience. The Japanese term "Tokusatsu" refers to films or TV series that make use of a lot of special effects, and they tend to deal with monsters and various sci-fi elements. A prime example of this is the earlier Godzilla films and the Japanese Super Sentai shows that Power Rangers is based on. Besides Super Sentai, there is also the long-running Kamen Rider series.

Going strong for over 50 years and 30 seasons, the cultural influence of Kamen Rider is undeniable. Two minor planets have been named in honor of the series, one of them being "12796 Kamenrider." The cream of the crop from Kamen Rider's franchise range from the early days of the franchise to modern retellings of those original stories and everything in between.

“Drive My Car” star Hidetoshi Nishijima has signed with CAA for representation.

Nishijima starred in the acclaimed 2021 Japanese feature “Drive My Car,” which was nominated for four Academy Awards, and walked away with the Oscar for best international feature film.

He earned several awards for his performance in the Cannes-premiering critical darling, including best actor from the National Society of Film Critics and the Boston Film Critics Circle Awards, as well as the Japan Academy Film Prize for best actor.

Nishijima will next star alongside Rashida Jones in “Sunny,” Apple TV+’s half-hour dark comedy series from A24 and Lucy Tcherniak. He also stars in Kitano Takeshi’s “Kubi,” which will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival next month.

Nishijima’s previous credits include “Shin Ultraman” (2022), Kitano Takeshi’s “Dolls” (2002), and “License to Live” for which he won the best actor award at the Japanese Professional Movie Awards.

Nishijima has also appeared in TV series,...

Kamen Rider may not have the international recognition of Godzilla — yet. But Toei, whose first “Kamen Rider” live-action TV series aired in 1971, has announced an ambitious project for raising the profile of its motorbike-riding, insect-faced cyborg hero both at home and abroad on the franchise’s 50th anniversary.

Unveiled in April at a splashy live press conference in Tokyo, the project is headlined by a new film, “Shin Kamen Rider,” directed by Anno Hideaki, the creator of the Evangelion sci-fi franchise and the scriptwriter and co-director of the 2016 smash “Shin Godzilla.” Details about the film, including story and casting, are still sparse, though Toei has penciled in a March 2023 release date.

When Variety met project producer Shirakura Shin-chiro at Toei’s Tokyo headquarters, he reaffirmed that his aim was to make “entertainment that viewers can enjoy,” while “targeting a wide demographic.” This is hardly the first time Toei has courted...