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ADV Aquires New Fist of the North Star

ADV FILMS ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF NEW “FIST OF THE NORTH STAR” ANIME

MODERN TRILOGY REVISITS THE WORLD OF THE CLASSIC MARTIAL ARTS THEATRICAL HIT ANIME

HOUSTON, January 12, 2004-ADV Films today formally announced the acquisition of the exclusive home video and broadcast rights for the new “Fist of the North Star” trilogy, a modern animated series based on the world-renowned “Fist of the North Star” manga. Anime Networktm is planning a broadcast run of the new trilogy to support the upcoming home video release.

The Story

In the aftermath of the great apocalypse, across an Earth that no longer bears a resemblance to the one we know, chaos is the rule and order the exception. Bandits and enterprising overlords hold survivors of the holocaust in an unflagging grip of terror. With “survival of the fittest” a grizzly epitaph for the vestiges of civilization, a lone warrior will rise from the ashes and cut a swath of justice across the Earth's ruined landscape with his unconquerable martial art.

He is Kenshiro. Believe him when he says, “You're already dead!”

About the new “Fist of the North Star” trilogy

The new “Fist of the North Star” trilogy, released in Japan this year, is based on the popular “Fist of the North Star” manga series and classic anime feature film. The “Fist of the North Star” manga first enthralled audiences with its debut in the early 1980s by selling over 60 million copies in five languages worldwide. The story's success made its creator, Hara Tetsuo, an internationally renowned manga artist and led to two smash hit television series, two animated movies and one live action movie. “Fist of the North Star's” over-the-top violence and wildly exciting action sequences quickly became legendary, making the series a staple of Japanese pop culture. The series has been parodied in several prominent anime titles over the years, most recently in “Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi,” also available from ADV Films. “Fist of the North Star” has gathered impressive merchandising momentum with numerous video games, action figures, and other character related merchandise in stores around the world.

This latest incarnation of the anime updates the series with vibrant animation and modern audio technology. An added bonus is the participation of Japanese pop sensation Gackt, who sings the opening and closing theme songs and acts in the first volume of the DVD.

ADV Films' management is thrilled to be introducing the new material to the U.S. “The new ‘Fist of the North Star’ trilogy maintains all the explosive action of the original property by utilizing the latest in anime production techniques, ” said ADV Films' CEO and Co-Founder John Ledford. “I am confident that the new trilogy will satisfy the title's countless fans and attract new ones.”

Release Plans

ADV Films has not yet announced specific release plans for the title, but Ledford says he expects a home video release around late spring or early summer 2004. Also, look for exclusive airings of the new “Fist of the North Star” on Anime Networktm prior to the DVD release.

About ADV Films:

In 1992, ADV Films began to forge the international market for Japanese animation (“anime”) by combining unique titles, outstanding production values and efficient large-scale distribution. Today, ADV Films is the #1 producer-distributor of Japanese animation to the North American market, with the firm's holdings including such premier titles as “NOIR,” “Sailor Moon,” “Hello Kitty's Paradise,” “RahXephon,” “Robotech,” “Full Metal Panic!” and “Neon Genesis Evangelion.” In addition, ADV Films' product line has expanded to include other forms of genre programming, including live-action science fiction programs “Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda,” “Mutant X” and The Jim Henson Company's “Farscape,” and classic science fiction such as the updated “Gamera” trilogy. ADV Films' parent company, A.D. Vision, Inc. also publishes Newtype USA, the premier anime and manga monthly magazine; operates Anime Network™, broadcasting anime and anime-related programming via digital cable, 24 hours a day; and publishes ADV Manga, a line of Japanese and other East Asian comics, illustration books, graphic novels and more. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, with additional offices and distribution across four continents, ADV Films is fast becoming an international multi-media entertainment powerhouse. For more information, visit ADV Films on the web at www.advfilms.com.

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