UTV-Virgin comics tie up to create new Indian superheroes

Mumbai, Aug 11 (UNI) UTV Motion Pictures Plc, through its movie production brand SpotBoy, and Virgin Comics, an entertainment division of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group, announced a new production relationship to create four original superhero franchises.

These new stories will be leveraged across publishing, film, animation and gaming, it was announced yesterday.

Aimed at India's 550 Million youth as well as the growing worldwide fascination with superhero characters, the new partnership intends to create new entertainment characters that are rooted in an Indian ideology and borne from the minds of the country's leading writers and artists.

According to a recent Hollywood study, films based on comic books earn more on average than films based on any other source material, averaging 215 Million US dollars per film worldwide.

Speaking on the occasion, Virgin Comics' CEO, Sharad Devarajan said,''In the same way the West created an age of heroes wearing capes and tights, our goal with UTV Motion Pictures is to redefine the archetype of the superhero and infuse a new sensibility that relates to today's Indian youth. Virgin's studio of leading Indian artists and writers have already created comics that are being published worldwide and turned into films, games and animation.'' Ronnie Screwvala, Chairman of UTV Motion Pictures Plc, said ''Virgin Comics is an ideal partner as we look to develop new content in the character entertainment space. Their expertise and global resources will allow us to create superheroes that touch the hearts of audiences worldwide.'' ''For too long, western superheroes have dominated the stage, but in India, the original mythic characters were born and we are now ready for a re-launch of larger than life heroes that will reflect the ancestral ethos of the region from which they spawn. We expect this partnership with UTV Motion Pictures to launch a whole new universe of heroes and I couldn't be more excited,'' commented Gotham Chopra, Virgin Comics Chief Creative Officer.

UNI