Vin Di Bona gets 'Masquerade' rights
Japanese series features visual illusions
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Di Bona, whose smash franchise "America's Funniest Home Videos" was based on a Japanese format, has scored the rights to Nippon TV's long-running hit "Masquerade."
The competish, which has been on the air since 1979, features contestants using props and costumes to perform visual illusions.
"This show strikes me as being the most original concept in television that I've seen since 'Home Videos,'" Di Bona said. "It's already become a cultural phenomenon in Japan and I see that potential here."
Format acquisition comes as the nets show more interest in Japanese TV -- including ABC's upcoming "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" and Fox's "Hole in the Wall."
Clips from "Masquerade" have become YouTube hits, such as people contorting their bodies and using props to depict an airborne soccer game and a karate demonstration.
Di Bona plans to shop the show to networks in the near future.
