Reliance Entertainment brings the iconic anime franchise Naruto to the Indian theater for the first time, with a trailer for the movie Naruto The Movie: Ninja Clash in Snow Of Snow.
The drama release of the franchise, first announced in April, is a major milestone in the release of Indian anime, and the film launches in three languages (Japanese, English and Hindi) to attract audiences from a variety of regions.
Reliance Entertainment, the partnership between TV Tokyo and 365 synergies takes place marks the ambitiousness of one of the fastest-growing entertainment markets in the world. The collaboration places India as a key area in Tokyo’s global expansion strategy.
“We are proud to announce the launch of a special film journey for Indian audiences,” said Hiroaki Saiki, head of global distribution at Tokyo TV. “The first of the 11 drama films produced so far will be released in theaters across the country this month, and we hope to see fans in India discover all of this.”
Saiki added: “This initiative marks an important milestone in our global strategy and we are excited to bring Naruto’s legacy to the big screen in India, one of our fastest growing international markets.”
Reliance Animation CEO Tejonidhi Bhandare outlines plans for outreach programs across educational institutions to establish franchises among young audiences.
“We are focused on establishing the ‘Naruto’ brand in India through large schools and universities linkage programs across the country,” Bhandare said. “This grassroots engagement will help foster a new generation of anime fans and firmly establish the ‘Naruto’ cultural phenomenon as a young Indian audience.”
Executives pointed out that Naruto provided inspiration for Reliance Animation's own original content development.
Anuron and Kalpita, a distribution company run by former Disney executives, highlight the cultural resonance of the franchise on the territory from the 365 synergies that occurred.
"Anime has been a special place in the hearts of Indian audiences, especially among children and millennials, for over twenty years," they said. "The dramatic release of the 'Naruto' movie marks an important milestone in this journey, making the powerful themes of friendship, loyalty and perseverance resonate deeply with Indian audiences."
"The movie "Naruto": Ninja Conflict in the Snow" will bow on more than 200 screens nationwide on June 27.
Dhruv Sinha, head of international business and joint organizations at Reliance Entertainment, said: “'Naruto' has a large and loyal fan base in India. In the releases across the country with over 200 screenings, we are not only respecting this fanatic, but also highlighting our commitment to bringing a wealth of and culturally rich global content to theatres in India.”
The plan represents a broader strategy by Reliance Entertainment to use international intellectual property for the Indian market. The company has produced over $1 billion in more than 400 movies worldwide and maintained new media assets in animation and games, making movie IP profitable across multiple platforms.
"Naruto" drama launch event can be used as a template for future anime versions of India, as a distributor to test audience demand for Japanese content on the big screen. The franchise built a fan base and multilingual approach will unlock potential leading positions positioned as the subcontinent’s wider anime drama market.
Watch the trailer here:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rr0ltppmkk[/embed]