Amazon Prime Video Rebooting Classic Game Show

More than three decades after it ended, the hit game show Takeshi’s Castle is returning to TV screens. Amazon Prime Video is rebooting the iconic game show as an all-new Japanese Amazon Original, which will premiere exclusively for Prime members in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide this year.

The original Japanese game show aired between 1986 and 1990 on the Tokyo Broadcasting System and featured Japanese comedian Takeshi Kitano as a count who owns a castle. Approximately 100 contestants were tasked with attempting to bring down Takeshi’s impenetrable castle for the chance at winning a prize of 1 million yen, and in the course of doing so, had to take on numerous games set in a vast outdoor field.

Prime Video’s reboot of the series – filmed at Midoriyama Studio, the same location as the original version, and set to premiere with eight episodes in late April 2023 – will follow a similar format. Per the company, a “total of more than 300 participants, selected from more than 1,000 applicants, will attempt to break through the various tricky games,” which include classics like Dragon God’s Pond (Ryujin-Ike), The Strait of Gibraltar, and Mushroom Trip.

“We are truly thrilled to bring the reboot of Takeshi’s Castle to Prime Video,” Taka Hayakawa, head of Japan Originals at Prime Video, said in a press release. “This iconic Japanese series has continued to fascinate people all around the world, transcending languages and cultural barriers. We hope customers of all ages will enjoy this program, with many new tricks on a grander scale and look forward to delivering next year to Prime Video members worldwide.”

Erika North, head of APAC Originals at Prime Video, added of the series, “Takeshi’s Castle is one of the world’s most established unscripted brands from the 80s and we are delighted to be partnering with Takeshi Kitano and TBS to bring this reboot to life. This must-see television event is sure to capture the imagination of a new generation of viewers, and delight original fans of the show when we launch in over 240 countries and territories on Prime Video in 2023.”

The company confirmed the upcoming reboot in late March as it unveiled its slate of new Japanese originals, which also includes a local adaptation of anthology series Modern Love, a YA romantic horror adventure-comedy series My Undead Yokai Girlfriend, a movie adaptation of Ryota Kosawa’s bestseller Angel Flight, and second seasons of The Masked Singer and The Bachelorette Japan. Prime Video’s Takeshi’s Castle reboot will premiere later this month.