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Kamen Rider 3, previously created by Shotaro Ishinomori, was never fully actualized into a character on screen, but this will all change with Toei’s next film, Superhero Taisen GP: Kamen Rider 3. It will be released on March 21, 2015.
The Superhero Taisen series started in 2012, gaining popularity for the variety of superheroes featured in the series. Superheroes from different tokusatsu series such as Kamen Rider and Super Sentai star in this crossover series, as well as other surprise guest heroes, pleasing many fans. This next installment in 2015, however, has a bigger surprise in store than previous works.
Even among tokusatsu fans, Kamen Rider 3 is an unknown figure. The Kamen Rider series began as a TV show in 1971, starting with Kamen Rider 1 and 2, with V3 following in 1973. However, this doesn’t mean Kamen Rider 3 has come out of nowhere all of a sudden in 2014. The character actually made an appearance in 1972’s Bessatsu Tanoshii Yochien. The story, Rider 3 vs Black Shogun no Maki, was written by none other than Shotaro Ishinomori.
Ishinomori had planned the character back in the day as the Kamen Rider series was at the height of its popularity, with talks of the series continuing on with Kamen Rider 3. In the end, however, the sequel introduced Kamen Rider V3. Kamen Rider 3 will finally be brought to life in the movie next spring.
In the movie, Kamen Rider 3 will be driving a car called a TriCyclone. He’ll be competing against the main character, Kamen Rider Drive, and will also have a scene with V3, the Kamen Rider that eventually became the successor to 1 and 2.
Until now, the Kamen Rider movies have featured heroes that longtime fans have loved and new fans have appreciated. For the first time, however, the next movie will feature an old yet new character that’s never been seen by anyone before, making this a must-see film for all Kamen Rider fans.
The movie is directed by Takayuki Shibasaki, who’s famous for a number of tokusatsu TV series and films, while the script is written by Shoji Yonemura, another familiar face in the tokusatsu industry, as well as anime. Filming began on Nov. 29 and is set to finish by the end of this year. The movie will be released in the spring of 2015, with the storyline to be announced in the near future.
Comment from Toei Producer Shinichiro Shirakura:
“Although Ishinomori-sensei had prepared Kamen Rider 3 to succeed 1 and 2, plans for 3 supposedly trailed off after it was decided that a newer and more original character, like V3, was necessary for the series. The fact that the Kamen Rider series has lasted this long might be because V3 was chosen over 3.
“It’s a heavy responsibility to bring Kamen Rider 3, the phantom character, to life. With the decision of 3’s revival, we knew we wanted this character to be shown in true Kamen Rider fashion. Both Kamen Rider 1 and 2 were created by the enemy, Shocker. The fact that Kamen Riders have escaped from an evil organization is what sets them apart from other orthodox superheroes. We focus on this commonality with Kamen Rider 3.
“Although the main character for this movie is Kamen Rider Drive, there’s a huge, unexpected story waiting to unfold when he meets Kamen Rider 3. No one knows whether 3 is a friend or a foe, and the unraveling of the mystery behind 3’s existence will be an important part of this movie.”
Superhero Taisen GP: Kamen Rider 3
Nationwide Release Date: March 21, 2015 (Sat.)
Superhero Taisen GP: Kamen Rider 3
© 2015 Superhero Taisen GP Production Committee
© Ishimori Pro, TV Asahi Corporation, ADK Inc., Toei AG, Toei Video, Toei
Source: animeanime