or


[10/30/06 - 04:12 PM]
Ron Perlman and Kelly Hu Join Cast of Afro Samurai(R)
The long-in-the-works animated series will finally premiere on Thursday, January 4.

[via press release from Spike TV]

Ron Perlman and Kelly Hu Join Cast of Afro Samurai(R)

Renowned Action Adventure Stars Appear in New Animated Series Premieres on January 4, 2007 on SPIKE

NEW YORK, Oct. 30 -- Renowned action adventure stars Ron Perlman and Kelly Hu will be joining Academy Award(R)-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson in "Afro Samurai." The five-part animated series is produced by Japanese studio Gonzo in association/partnership with GHK K.K. and FUNimation and premieres on SPIKE Thursday, January 4, 2007.

"Afro Samurai" is the animated epic, based on a graphic novel by Takashi Okazaki, of a black samurai's hunt for the gunman who murdered his father. Samuel L. Jackson executive-produces and stars as the uncompromising hero, Afro, in this stylish series that crosses cultural boundaries as a fusion of animated samurai action and hip-hop culture. Revolutionary rap artist and producer The RZA is crafting original music for the series.

Ron Perlman will give voice to Justice, the six-shooter wielding gunman who kills Afro's father and becomes the sole focus of Afro Samurai's quest for revenge.

"We're really excited to have the passion and skills of Ron Perlman on board for 'Afro Samurai.' He loves the genre, has tons of experience in the science fiction world, and brings a deep understanding and respect to the material," said Eric Calderon, vice-president of creative affairs at GDH K.K. "We're also ecstatic that such a charming and talented actor like Kelly Hu is joining us as well. Her excitement for the show really validates Afro Samurai as a breakout piece with enormous mass appeal."

Perlman is arguably best known for bringing comic book hero Hellboy to life as well as his Golden Globe winning and Emmy-nominated portrayal of the title character in the television series "Beauty and the Beast." Among his scores of other credits are "Star Trek: Nemesis," "Blade II," "Enemy at the Gates," "Alien: Resurrection" and "The Island of Dr. Moreau." He has also appeared in a number of television movies and Broadway plays.

"Aside from the opportunity to work with Sam Jackson, whom I admire intensely, the animation of gonzo is as startlingly cutting edge and exciting as anything I've seen to date -- and that includes 56 years of cartoon watching!" said Perlman.

Kelly Hu brings life to Okiku, a friend from Afro Samurai's past who is forced to betray those she loves in order to save one most dear to her. Hu co-starred in "X2: X-Men United" as well as "Cradle 2 the Grave" and "The Scorpion King." Currently, Hu is shooting a half-hour comedy for ABC titled "In Case of Emergency." Her other TV credits include Martial Law, Sunset Beach and Nash Bridges.

"It's an honor to be working with such amazing talent on this great project. I've been a huge fan of both Samuel Jackson and Ron Pearlman," said Hu. "Afro Samurai brings animation to a whole new level."

FUNimation Entertainment is set to release "AFRO SAMUARI" on DVD in spring 2007.

About FUNimation Entertainment

So it should read: FUNimation(R) Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navarre Corporation (Nasdaq: NAVR), is the leading company for home video sales of Japanese animation in the United States. The company's most recent initiative is the FUNimation Channel(SM), a new, 24-hour digital network featuring programming from the top anime brands in the United States. FUNimation has a proven formula for launching and advancing brands, and manages a full spectrum of rights for most of its brands including broadcasting, licensing, production, internet, and home video sales and distribution.

About GDH K.K.

GDH (Security code: TSE Mothers 3755) is a globally-focused Japanese media company founded in February 2000. The group produces cutting edge entertainment for teens and young adults including the famous GONZO animation brand and for kids and family under the recently launched Gonzo Films and Gonzino brands. GDH is a world leader in content development that targets both domestic and international audiences with Japan's trend-setting animation culture and, usually, GDH controls licensing management and international distribution for the content it produces. GDH group companies include GONZO K.K., G-creators K.K., Future Vision Music K.K., GONZINO K.K., GONZO Rosso Online K.K., GDH Capital K.K., and GK Entertainment K.K.

About SPIKE

SPIKE is available in more than 90 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. MTV Networks is a unit of Viacom International.

SOURCE Spike TV
http://www.spiketv.com





  [october 2006]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· AFRO SAMURAI (SPIKE TV)
· IN CASE OF EMERGENCY (ABC)





[09/16/25 - 04:46 PM]
Apple's Global Hit Drama "The Morning Show" Renewed for Season Five
Said renewal comes ahead of the season four premiere due tomorrow, Wednesday, September 17.

[09/16/25 - 03:39 PM]
"College GameDay Built by The Home Depot" and College Football on ESPN/ABC Both Off to Stellar Starts in 2025
ABC is off to its best three-week start ever, averaging 7.8 million viewers per game.

[09/16/25 - 03:02 PM]
"20/20" Is the No. 1 Program Across Broadcast and Cable on Friday Night
"20/20" ranked as the No. 1 broadcast program on Friday night in Total Viewers (2.457 million).

[09/16/25 - 03:01 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54, and Adults 18-49, Leading CBS' "After Midnight" and NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers" in All Three Measures
For the 2nd week in a row, "Nightline" improved on the previous week in Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49.

[09/16/25 - 02:45 PM]
FOX NFL Smashes All-Time Viewership Records with Week 2 Super Bowl Rematch
A massive 33.8 million viewers delivers FOX Sports its best-ever regular season Sunday telecast, most-watched Week 2 NFL telecast on record and more all-time viewership highs!

[09/16/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10 Week of September 8: "Canelo vs. Crawford" Packs a Punch, "Wednesday" Season 2 Joins Most Popular List
In movies, "KPop Demon Hunters" danced its way back to No. 1 on the English Film list with 22.6 million views.

[09/16/25 - 11:01 AM]
NFL Christmas Gameday Is Back with a New Line-Up of On-Air Booth Talent in Washington, D.C. and Minneapolis, Minnesota
Netflix's NFL Christmas Gameday 2024 reached 65 million U.S. viewers, according to Nielsen.

[09/16/25 - 11:00 AM]
Prime Video Announces October 23 Premiere Date for "Allen Iv3rson"
The three-part docuseries is about the captivating life of basketball legend and global sensation Allen Iverson, whose authentic voice and unapologetic expression of style paved the way for future generations and revolutionized the culture of the NBA.

[09/16/25 - 10:01 AM]
HBO Original Documentary "Prime Minister" Debuts September 30
The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for World Cinema Documentary.

[09/16/25 - 09:56 AM]
Daytime Emmy-Nominated "The Jennifer Hudson Show" Comes to Streaming Audiences for Free on Tubi
Starting today, fans can stream each episode of season four of "The Jennifer Hudson Show" for free on Tubi the day after it airs on linear television.

[09/16/25 - 09:30 AM]
"On the Bench" -- NBC Sports Introduces Dedicated Team Analysts Seated Courtside for Peacock NBA Monday Throughout 2025-26 NBA Season
Rather than sitting next to the play-by-play voice, the analysts will be positioned near the assistant coaches of their assigned team during the action, listening in on huddles and timeouts, and delivering information straight from the bench.

[09/16/25 - 09:01 AM]
"Superman" Soars Onto HBO Max Exclusively on September 19
HBO Max will feature an in-app "Superman" takeover offering viewers a transformed homepage and unique user experience.

[09/16/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Deathwatch" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In the shadowy world of espionage, Sam Fisher is a rumor and a legend. Pulled back into action, he must help a new recruit unravel a global conspiracy.

[09/16/25 - 09:01 AM]
Bravo Embarks on the Ultimate Fish-Out-of-Water Social Experiment When "Wife Swap: The Real Housewives Edition" Premieres Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 9 P.M. ET/PT
"The Real Housewives" featured are Angie Katsanevas (Salt Lake City), Emily Simpson (Orange County), Melissa Gorga (New Jersey) and Dr. Wendy Osefo (Potomac).

[09/16/25 - 08:45 AM]
ESPN and the NWSL Announce Supplemental Media Rights Agreement
Under the agreement, ABC and ESPN networks will carry 16 more regular-season games each year, increasing the total number of NWSL matches available on The Walt Disney Company networks from 17 to 33 per season.