Shout! Studios Acquires North American Rights to Eric McEver’s Fantasy Feature IKÉ BOYS
Shout! Studios, the multi-platform entertainment distribution and production arm of Shout! Factory, has acquired North American rights to the fantasy action-adventure IKÉ BOYS. Directed by Eric McEver and written by McEver and Jeff Hammer, the film stars an ensemble cast of Quinn Lord (The Man in the High Castle), Ronak Gandhi (The Rookie), Christina Higa (Am I Ok?), Billy Zane (Titanic, The Boys), Yumiko Shaku (Kamen Rider Zi-O), and Ben Browder (Farscape). IKÉ BOYS is produced by Jeff Hammer of Wisconation Productions and Brion Hambel and Paul Jensen of Best Medicine Productions. Executive producers are Kevin Waller and Nathan Gardocki. The announcement was made today by Shout’s Jordan Fields, Vice President of Acquisitions.
A clever blend of live-action and animation, IKÉ BOYS is an entertaining and humorous coming-of-age story of outcasts as well as a heartfelt ode to anime and kaiju. The film had its World Premiere at Fantastic Fest to great enthusiasm and critical acclaim, and will have its International Premiere at Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) in South Korea in July. Shout! Studios has secured all distribution rights in the U.S. and Canada to IKÉ BOYS and plans to release this movie across multiple digital and VOD entertainment platforms this fall. The film’s producers also plan to host event screenings of the movie in select cities later this year.
“IKÉ BOYS is a knowing and wonderfully offbeat fantasy adventure, a love letter to Japanese pop culture staples kaiju and anime. It’s tailor-made for the geek culture audience and such a natural fit for Shout!,” stated Jordan Fields, Vice President of Acquisitions at Shout! Studios.
“We are thrilled to be partnered with Shout! As a mixed media film with live action, original animation, and tokusatsu special effects, there literally isn’t a company better suited to bring this film to the world,” said Hammer. “While IKÉ BOYS is a perfect film for Shout’s core fans, its themes of friendship and staying true to yourself will resonate with everyone.”
Jackrabbit Media is handling international sales.
IKÉ BOYS Synopsis
Best friends Shawn Gunderson and Vikram 'Vik' Kapoor escape from the drudgery of high school life in Oklahoma through their obsession with all things Japanese. When a mysterious anime film transforms them into its superhuman characters, they at first think that their wildest fantasies have come true. But when ancient monsters threaten to unleash the apocalypse on New Year's Eve of 1999, Shawn and Vik must look to each other to become the heroes they were always meant to be. Joining their adventure is Miki, a Japanese exchange student whose determination to go on a Native American vision quest puts her on a collision course with both Shawn and Vik and their foes... and whose destiny may determine the fate of the world.