The Masked Rider is back in the new action and adventure remake “Shin Kamen Rider”

The Kamen Rider series, also known as Masked Rider, is a Japanese superhero media franchise consisting of tokusatsu television programs, films, manga, and anime, created by manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. Kamen Rider generally features a motorcycle-riding superhero with an insect motif who fights supervillains, often known as kaijin.

The franchise began in 1971 with the Kamen Rider (1971–1973) television series, which followed college student Takeshi Hongo and his quest to defeat the world-conquering Shocker organization. Besides several Japanese series, in Taiwan some adaptations appeared under the name of Super Riders in 1975 and 1976, and in the United States under the name Masked Rider (1995–1996) with Saban producing and starring Ted Jan Roberts, although the show wasn’t a big success.

Now, after 50 years since the release of the first episode, a new feature Kamen Rider film is coming out.

Shin Kamen Rider (2023) tells the story of college student and motorcycle enthusiast Takeshi Hongo who is abducted by the evil organization Shocker and converted into a cyborg as part of their plans for world domination. Before they can brainwash him to do their bidding, he escapes and uses his new enhanced abilities as Kamen Rider to wage a one-man war against Shocker.

Hideaki Anno, a popular awards-winner filmmaker popular for being the director of many Evangelion installments and the creator of the science-fiction movies Shin Godzilla (2016) and Shin Ultraman (2022), as well as the Tokyo International Film Festival awards-winner drama Ritual (2000), has been in charge of directing and writing Shin Kamen Rider (2023). The late creator of the original saga Shotaro Ishinomori, also credited as the creator of the Power Rangers, was the mind behind the story.

Sosuke Ikematsu (The Last Samurai (2003)) and Minami Hamabe (Let Me Eat Your Pancreas (2017)) form the main cast that also includes Tasuku Emoto, Nanase Nishino, Shinya Tsukamoto, Toru Tezuka, Takumi Saitoh, Masami Nagasawa, Kanata Hongō, and Mikako Ichikawa.

Shin Kamen Rider (2023) premiered in selected Japanese theaters on March 17, 2023. The movie is expected to be released internationally, but the exact date was undecided.

Watch the official teaser trailer for Shin Kamen Rider (2023).