Takeshi’s Castle to be rebooted by Prime Video

Series is set to premiere in 2023

‘Takeshi’s Castle’ was renowned for its strange premise and off-beat sense of humour (Tokyo Broadcasting System)

Amazon Prime Video is set to reboot the hit Japanese reality series Takeshi’s Castle.

The popular original series ran from 1986 to 1990, and was broadcast in more than 150 countries across the globe, spawning many localised versions.

Japanese comedian and filmmaker Takeshi Kitano hosted the series, playing the character of an eccentric count who gives contestants the chance to try and get to him via a series of physical trials.

Prime Video announced the reboot as part of a slate of Japanese projects revealed at a showcase event in Tokyo today (30 March).

The new series will premiere in 2023 in more than 240 markets, including the UK (per Deadline).

Further details about the as yet untitled project are still forthcoming.

In the UK, Takeshi’s Castle has been aired in several forms down the years, with footage often repurposed from the Japanese version.

From 2017 to 2019, a revival of the show aired on Comedy Central, using footage taken from the Indonesian and Thai versions of the series.

Also announced at Amazon’s Tokyo event was a Japanese adaptation of the Prime Video anthology series Modern Love.

The American original features a cast that includes Anne Hathaway, Dev Patel, Tina Fey, Ed Sheeran, Kit Harington and Anna Paquin.