Dragon Age Anime Movie Deal Announced

Electronic Arts sent us a press release this morning announcing that they’ve inked a deal with FUNimation Entertainment to create an anime movie based on BioWare’s Dragon Age setting. Where mature themes and cutesy characters combine:

BioWare and FUNimation Entertainment Sign Anime Movie Deal for Award-Winning Dragon Age Franchise

Anime Leader to Create Home Video Adaptation of Award-Winning Video Game Franchise (Dragon Age)

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–BioWareâ„¢, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio and FUNimation Entertainment, the leading distributor of Japanese animation in North America, announced today an agreement to create an anime feature film adapted from BioWare’s critically-acclaimed fantasy Action RPG franchise Dragon Ageâ„¢. Production of the Dragon Age anime movie is slated to begin in May 2010, with a home video release in 2011. Executive producing the film are Bioware’s Executive Producer Mark Darrah and Creative Director Mike Laidlaw, as well as FUNimation’s Fukunaga and Director of Original Entertainment Chris Moujaes.

(Anime is a great medium for us to continue the robust Dragon Age story,) said Mark Darrah, Executive Producer for the Dragon Age franchise. (Partnering with FUNimation ensures that we are delivering the exceptional quality and entertainment value that our Dragon Age fans expect.)

(We are thrilled to be working with EA and BioWare on the production of the Dragon Age anime feature,) said Gen Fukunaga, President and CEO of FUNimation. (We are going to be bringing the classic visual and storytelling techniques found in anime to create a film that will extend the narrative of the world BioWare has created.)

Dragon Age has been selected as the first title in FUNimation’s slate of major anime movies to be developed through FUNimation’s Original Entertainment team since the announcement of the company’s co-production initiative in November 2009.

When originally released in 2009, Dragon Age: Origins won over 30 critics awards and was named (RPG of the Year) by the Academy of Arts and Interactive Sciences, Game Informer, G4, SpikeTV, and PC Gamer. Seth Schiesel of The New York Times described the game as (.perhaps the best electronic game made yet.)

For more information on Dragon Age, please visit http://dragonage.bioware.com/.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA MobileTM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

About FUNimation Entertainment

FUNimation® Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navarre Corporation, is the leading company for Japanese animation in the United States. FUNimation is known for acquiring top-rated anime series from Japan and for being the market share leader for home video sales of anime in the United States. The company 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 Navarre Corporation

Navarre® Corporation (Nasdaq: NAVR)(News) is a publisher and distributer of computer software, home entertainment media and related products. The company produces animé video through its FUNimation Entertainment® subsidiary and publishes computer software in its Encore® subsidiary. Navarre Distribution Services provides complete distribution and third-party logistics (3PL) services to North American retailers and their suppliers. Navarre was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Additional information can be found at http://www.navarre.com.