Monkey News - 12.11.19
Welcome to this weeks edition of Monkey News, the news roundup for everything Lupin III!
Lupin III: The First has aired in Tokyo at special preview event!
Kurita and company have hit the yellow (and red) carpet, say cheese!
A special preview screening for Lupin III: The First has taken place in Tokyo!
The advance screening was shown to around two-hundred lucky ticket holders and all had been granted a space via a raffle ticket system - one that runs purely on luck, rather than a first come first serve basis.
Kanichi Kurita, Lupin's current Japanese voice actor attended the event, along with various other members of the voice talent and film production team. This also included Kiyoshi Kobayashi, who has been rocking the role of Jigen since 1969 (so much respect to be had for that man)!
Both Kanichi Kurita and Kiyoshi Kobayashi attended the event.
A couple of additional images of the event can be seen on Oricon News here and also on Twitter here. There are also two short videos from the event, recorded from Japanese daytime television over on Twitter here and here (thanks for the heads up, Maia)!
The first ever feature length 3DCG Lupin film will release in Japan on December 6th - with no raffle requirements needed!
In addition to the news of the preview screening, the films official website has also been updated. The update includes new cast information, release details, screen shots and character renders.
Check out a selection of the character renders in the gallery above, and click here to browse the website and see more!
Banpresto announces Lupin III: The First Master Stars piece Fujiko Mine!
Looking good, Fuji-cakes!
A brand new Lupin III: The First figurine featuring Fujiko Mine has been announced for Japan!
The latest Banpresto Master Stars piece features the 3DCG film design of the femme fatale, with her sporting her green dress as seen in the announcement trailer of the film.
A 3DCG Lupin variant Master Stars piece was also confirmed by Banpresto, however a final version of the figurine has yet to be shown. If this Fujiko one is anything to go by, it's likely going to be very high quality - she is looking great!
Both figurines are currently planned to release in Japan next year, with Lupin launching in February and Fujiko in April.
Thanks go out to Dario for highlighting the news over on Twitter!
Lupin III: The First official soundtrack releases on December 4th!
Characters and above image owned by TMS and NTV.
Lupin III: The First is getting an official soundtrack release in Japan on December 4th!
The complete soundtrack for the upcoming 3DCG film clocks in at a whopping 61 tracks in total - one of the largest soundtracks for a Lupin III film to date!
The soundtrack has been composed once again by series veteran Yuji Ohno and features a heap of brand new music. Mixed in with the new tracks are revamps of classics, such as BUONO!! BUONO!!, Love Squall, the Zenigata March, Dangerous Temptation, Samba Temperado, Zantetsuken, Super Hero and many more.
The soundtrack comes on two CD's on account of how big it is, and has a recommended retail price of 3,000 Japanese yen. This is by far the strongest track list we have seen for a long time - it's clear the production team are going all out to make the first feature length 3DCG Lupin film a success.
To pre-order the soundtrack and view a complete track list, visit the VAP website right here. It is also possible to pre-order the upcoming release abroad via CD Japan. Check their website to see if the album is available in your country at the link here. Prices and delivery times may vary.
Lupin III: The First arrives at convenience stores across Japan in December!
Characters and above image owned by TMS and NTV.
Lupin III: The First cinema tickets and commemorative mugs are going to be available to buy in convenience stores across Japan!
Customers will be able to purchase tickets to see the film from the 5th of December, a day before the films official release. Tickets will cost around 1,400 yen per person.
Alongside the tickets, for an additional cost an exclusive commemorative mug will also be available. The mugs themselves will be priced at around 1,650 yen and are expected to ship on Thursday the 20th of January, 2020.
More details are available on the promotions official website.
Lupin III: The First teams up with T-Card and Cup Noodle!
Characters and above image owned by TMS and NTV.
Lupin III: The First themed T-Cards will be releasing in Japan later this year!
A portable speaker, T-shirts and more will also be up for grabs as part of the same promotion.
The first card features concept artwork from the upcoming 3DCG film, with each of the main five cast members standing side by side. Another variant includes promotional artwork from Part 5, the latest Lupin III TV series which aired in Japan back in 2018, and is still showing weekly on Toonami in the U.S.
Characters and above image owned by TMS and NTV.
In addition to T-Card, Cup Noodle is also teaming up with the film for an official cross-over. The gang chow down on some tasty noodles in a scene of the film - so why not help to advertise it?
The Lupin series has been no stranger to product placement, with real life brands showing up aplenty over the years. While in the marketing screen shots Lupin and the gang are teasing him - we can only hope Inspector Zenigata gets his share of the noodles, too!
More information and images can be seen on the official T-Card Japanese fan site right here.
Lupin III: The First comes to Spain in 2020!
Characters and above image owned by TMS and NTV.
Spain will be the second territory outside of Japan to receive a release of the upcoming 3DCG film.
Italy have already bought the rights to release the film abroad, and now Spanish distribution company Selcta Visión has followed suit. A release date is set for the 15th of May, 2020. There are still no confirmed plans for release of the film outside of Japan, Italy and Spain.
Characters and above image owned by TMS and NTV.
We would fully expect that TMS Entertainment in the U.S. will have plans of localising the film for DVD and streaming services, at the very least. Keep your eyes peeled and cross those fingers - if an official announcement happens, we will be sure to post it up on the site!
View the original announcement of the films release in Spain over on Twitter right here.
The Mystery of Mamo to air in French cinemas this December!
Characters and above image owned by TMS and NTV.
The Mystery of Mamo will be releasing in select French cinemas on December the 11th!
The film will be showing in 4K for the first time outside of Japan. The restored visuals are sure to look great on the big screen, and Splendor Films will no doubt be making many French Lupin fans happy with the decision to pick this one up!
Thanks to Olivier on Twitter for the original tweet announcing this release!
New Prison of the Past information and video revealed!
Characters and above image owned by TMS and NTV.
Last but by no means least we have a brief look at the upcoming Lupin III TV special, Prison of the Past!
The first-look video is currently available for viewing over on Facebook, although as we are quickly approaching the films air date, we would imagine a full trailer is not too far off.
This marks the first time we have seen the special in motion, and it's looking great! The film is airing alongside Lupin III VS Detective Conan: THE MOVIE later this month, on Friday, November the 29th.
If you would like to read some more details on the film, check out our previous article on it right here.
