ADV gets Chevalier D'Eon anime

makes deal with Shochiku for anime, two live-action movies

Nov 3, 2006

ADV Films will distribute eagerly-awaited anime about Chevalier D'Eon de Beaumont, who lived the first half of his life as a man and the second half as a woman.

ADV Films has inked a deal with Shochiku Co. Ltd to distribute the anime Chevalier D'Eon, plus two live-action movies. Under the terms of the contract, ADV will hold the TV, VOD and video rights for Chevalier D'Eon, plus the theatrical, video and TV rights to the live-action features Ghost Train and Synesthesia. These rights extend to North America, UK, Australia and all of English-speaking Africa.

Directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi (Rurouni Kenshin) from an original story by Tow Ubukata (Fafner), Chevalier D'Eon is a gothic anime based on the adventures of Charles-Geneviève Éon de Beaumont (October 5, 1728 - May 21, 1810), who was a French diplomat, soldier and spy for Louis XV. Despite the fact that he was anatomically male, D'Eon spent the last half of his life insisting that he was a woman, and dressing as such. The anime has been getting some serious buzz as a period drama that accurately evokes the vibe of 18th Century France, although historical accuracy was sacrificed in the interests of story. For instance, it's likely the real Chevalier D'Eon never fought vampires.

Shochiku, founded in 1895, is Japan's oldest film studio. It is responsible for fostering the careers of such legendary Japanese directors such as Yasujiro Ozu, Akira Kurosawa, Takeshi Kitano, Takashi Miike and Takashi Ishii. Its two live-action offerings have also been getting some positive word-of-mouth. Ghost Train is a riff on the classic haunted-train legend, while Synesthesia is a taut suspense thriller about the hunt for a serial killer.

The copyright of the article ADV gets Chevalier D'Eon anime in Animated Films is owned by Dominic von Riedemann. Permission to republish ADV gets Chevalier D'Eon anime in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.