In the late 1990s, Bandai Entertainment and the Japanese animation studio Sunrise approached young director Shinichirō Watanabe to make a sci-fi action show (mostly so they could sell spaceship toys). Watanabe took that directive and led the creation of "Cowboy Bebop."
This 26-episode show followed down-on-their-luck bounty hunters in the year 2071, when mankind has colonized the solar system and left behind a ruined Earth. It brought Western and noir storytelling together into its sci-fi setting, fused with an existential mood and jazzy music composed by Yoko Kanno.
"Cowboy Bebop" first aired in Japan 25 years ago, from 1998 to 1999, and Bandai Entertainment soon imported it stateside, where it debuted on Cartoon Network block Adult Swim in 2001. If anything, it's become an even bigger (and more enduring) hit in the U.S. than in its homeland. A big reason for this popularity was because the English dub was excellent: The characters speaking the...
This 26-episode show followed down-on-their-luck bounty hunters in the year 2071, when mankind has colonized the solar system and left behind a ruined Earth. It brought Western and noir storytelling together into its sci-fi setting, fused with an existential mood and jazzy music composed by Yoko Kanno.
"Cowboy Bebop" first aired in Japan 25 years ago, from 1998 to 1999, and Bandai Entertainment soon imported it stateside, where it debuted on Cartoon Network block Adult Swim in 2001. If anything, it's become an even bigger (and more enduring) hit in the U.S. than in its homeland. A big reason for this popularity was because the English dub was excellent: The characters speaking the...
- 11/21/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
"The Little Mermaid" saved Walt Disney Feature Animation in 1989. It earned rave reviews from critics like Roger Ebert, who wrote that "the magic of animation has been restored to us." It won an Academy Award and a Grammy for the hit song "Under the Sea." Best of all, the film popularized animated musicals; not just animated films with songs, but films with songs that expressed motivation and character as aptly as the animation did. Lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken, responsible for the off-Broadway legend "Little Shop of Horrors," brought their hard-won expertise to a project that was floundering on the rocks. The results didn't just set the standard for the Disney Renaissance; they set the standard for its competition. For the first time in many years, Disney took the lead as opposed to ceding ground to challengers like Don Bluth. Not every film in the coming years would be successful,...
- 2/25/2023
- by Adam Wescott
- Slash Film
Leading Japanese manga artist Matsumoto Leiji, whose space operas became known to fans globally in animated incarnations, died on Feb. 13 in Tokyo at age 85.
His representatives announced on Monday that the cause of death was heart failure.
Born Matsumoto Akira in 1938 in Kurume, a city on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu, Matsumoto began drawing manga professionally after his arrival in Tokyo at age 18. He made his debut in 1954 with a comic titled “Mitsubachi no Boken” (Adventure of the Honey Bee).
He drew successful manga about ronin (masterless samurai), cowboys and other subjects, but became best known for series about adventures set in outer space, including “Space Pirate Captain Harlock” and “Galaxy Express 999,” both of which bowed in 1977. Animated versions became enduringly popular in Japan and around the world.
Matsumoto collaborated with producer Nishizaki Yoshinobu on the 1974-75 “Space Battleship Yamato” TV animated series that was shown in the U.
His representatives announced on Monday that the cause of death was heart failure.
Born Matsumoto Akira in 1938 in Kurume, a city on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu, Matsumoto began drawing manga professionally after his arrival in Tokyo at age 18. He made his debut in 1954 with a comic titled “Mitsubachi no Boken” (Adventure of the Honey Bee).
He drew successful manga about ronin (masterless samurai), cowboys and other subjects, but became best known for series about adventures set in outer space, including “Space Pirate Captain Harlock” and “Galaxy Express 999,” both of which bowed in 1977. Animated versions became enduringly popular in Japan and around the world.
Matsumoto collaborated with producer Nishizaki Yoshinobu on the 1974-75 “Space Battleship Yamato” TV animated series that was shown in the U.
- 2/20/2023
- by Mark Schilling
- Variety Film + TV
Fighting games cannot subsist on colorful characters alone. Every fighter needs a few special moves to act as a calling card and set themselves apart from the rest of the roster. While Street Fighter is full of such special moves, the Hadōken and Shōryūken are really the two Street Fighter abilities that have entered the upper echelons of pop culture.
It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t know about, or has at least seen, a Hadōken or Shōryūken. Even though the moves are primarily associated with the characters Ryu, Ken, Akuma, and Sakura, those attacks are so iconic that they are used as shorthand for Street Fighter references in other media. Audiences who have never played a round of Street Fighter more than likely know about the Hadōken or Shōryūken thanks to references in shows like Family Guy and Gravity Falls.
Those references are fun and all, but...
It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t know about, or has at least seen, a Hadōken or Shōryūken. Even though the moves are primarily associated with the characters Ryu, Ken, Akuma, and Sakura, those attacks are so iconic that they are used as shorthand for Street Fighter references in other media. Audiences who have never played a round of Street Fighter more than likely know about the Hadōken or Shōryūken thanks to references in shows like Family Guy and Gravity Falls.
Those references are fun and all, but...
- 5/20/2022
- by Matthew Byrd
- Den of Geek
Four of the top animated films of the year sought to take us to very different worlds. One showed an astronaut trying to survive after his spaceship crash lands on a strange small planet while another shows a robot uprising on Earth instigated by a vengeful AI system. Another shows us a school that looks to make parents obsolete and the other displays a world of singing animals trying to make it in show business. In a recent discussion we got to hear the filmmakers behind these projects talk about their influences in animation and what lessons they’ve learned over the course of their careers. Gold Derby recently got to ask these questions with Joe Mateo (“Blush”), Tom McGrath (“The Boss Baby: Family Business”), Kurt Albrecht (“The Mitchells vs. the Machines”) and Garth Jennings (“Sing 2”) during our recent Meet the Experts panel.
You can watch the film animation...
You can watch the film animation...
- 11/29/2021
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Imagine Entertainment has pre-emptively bought the film rights to the female-driven grounded sci-fi pitch Canary from Zach Dean. Imagine chairmen Brian Grazer and Ron Howard made the deal and will produce a project that will be developed as a directing vehicle for Howard. Imagine’s Erica Huggins and Tyler Mitchell, who brought in the project, will oversee for Imagine. Dean will also serve as an executive producer.
Dean is currently adapting Billy Graham: My Life Inside Rock and Out for Fox and Shawn Levy and the Japanese sci-fi anime Star Blazers for Skydance and director Christopher McQuarrie. Dean most recently sold his original WWII pitch Atlantic Wall to Imperative with Bradley Cooper attached to star, and Ghost Draft for director David Goyer.
Dean is repped by Wme, Madhouse and lawyer Andrew Hurwitz.
Dean is currently adapting Billy Graham: My Life Inside Rock and Out for Fox and Shawn Levy and the Japanese sci-fi anime Star Blazers for Skydance and director Christopher McQuarrie. Dean most recently sold his original WWII pitch Atlantic Wall to Imperative with Bradley Cooper attached to star, and Ghost Draft for director David Goyer.
Dean is repped by Wme, Madhouse and lawyer Andrew Hurwitz.
- 6/21/2018
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
For nearly thirty years, Daniel Clowes has been at the forefront of San Francisco’s second wave of underground cartoonists, first making waves with his anthology comic, Eightball, which ran for fifteen years. One of the many serialized comic stories in that comic was Ghost World, which was turned into a popular indie movie in 2001, directed by Terry Zwigoff and starring a very, very young Scarlett Johansson.
Five years later, Zwigoff and Clowes reteamed for the comedy Art School Confidential, also based on an Eightball story, and around the same time, Clowes shifted away from Eightball to writing and drawing stand-alone graphic novels.
One of those graphic novels was 2010’s Wilson, which Clowes has now adapted into a movie starring Woody Harrelson as its cantankerous title character, who goes on a quest to reconnect with his ex-wife Pippy (Laura Dern), and find their now-teen daughter Claire (Isabella Amara). It’s...
Five years later, Zwigoff and Clowes reteamed for the comedy Art School Confidential, also based on an Eightball story, and around the same time, Clowes shifted away from Eightball to writing and drawing stand-alone graphic novels.
One of those graphic novels was 2010’s Wilson, which Clowes has now adapted into a movie starring Woody Harrelson as its cantankerous title character, who goes on a quest to reconnect with his ex-wife Pippy (Laura Dern), and find their now-teen daughter Claire (Isabella Amara). It’s...
- 3/23/2017
- by Edward Douglas
- LRMonline.com
For almost twenty years, Judy Greer has been one of the busiest actresses in every medium, whether it’s appearing in popular comedies like 13 Going on 30, Oscar fare like Alexander Payne’s The Descendants, or even unrecognizable as the ape Cornelia in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and its upcoming sequel. Maybe Greer’s largest pop came when she was cast to play Will Arnett’s cross-eyed secretary Kitty Sanchez in Mitch Hurwitz’s popular show Arrested Development, and for the past few years, she’s also provided the voices for a couple characters on the popular animated show Archer.
Either way, it’s unlikely you haven’t seen Greer in hundreds of movies or TV shows over the years, as she keeps very, very busy, and yet somehow, despite that busy schedule, Greer has found time to put together a book and make her directorial debut with a comedy starring Common.
Either way, it’s unlikely you haven’t seen Greer in hundreds of movies or TV shows over the years, as she keeps very, very busy, and yet somehow, despite that busy schedule, Greer has found time to put together a book and make her directorial debut with a comedy starring Common.
- 3/21/2017
- by Edward Douglas
- LRMonline.com
While Marvel Studios and Warners/Dceu were busy fighting over which of their superhero battle movies was better, the comic book movie that really had the biggest impact of 2016 was probably 20th Century Fox’s Deadpool, starring Ryan Reynolds, which went from an R-rated action-comedy that no one wanted to make to the global smash of a movie that grossed nearly $800 million worldwide.
A lot of that had to do with Ryan Reynolds' dedication to the character and his screenwriting collaborators Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland), who continued to grind away at writing the best script possible for Marvel’s snarkiest superhero.
After Deadpool became such a hugely popular hit, putting Reynolds back in the spandex was a given, and in the past few months, we’ve started to hear what is planned for Deadpool 2 with John Wick’s David Leitch directing, Drew Goddard (The Martian) helping...
A lot of that had to do with Ryan Reynolds' dedication to the character and his screenwriting collaborators Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland), who continued to grind away at writing the best script possible for Marvel’s snarkiest superhero.
After Deadpool became such a hugely popular hit, putting Reynolds back in the spandex was a given, and in the past few months, we’ve started to hear what is planned for Deadpool 2 with John Wick’s David Leitch directing, Drew Goddard (The Martian) helping...
- 3/18/2017
- by Edward Douglas
- LRMonline.com
There was a time before Guardians of the Galaxy when filmmaker James Gunn was better known for horror films like Slither and for writing the screenplay for Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead remake. One of the movies Gunn had been talking about making for almost as long was a violent high-concept thriller called The Belko Experiment, which as you can guess from the title, has finally seen the light of day. (Gunn went on to make the low-budget action-comedy Super, got the gig directing Guardians and the rest is history.)
The Belko Corporation has a large branch office building in the middle of Bogota, Colombia, and we meet the company’s CEO Barry Norris (Tony Goldwyn from Scandal) as he’s arriving at work and noticing the new armed security detail carefully checking everyone entering the building. Before we can think too much about this, we meet Melonie Diaz...
The Belko Corporation has a large branch office building in the middle of Bogota, Colombia, and we meet the company’s CEO Barry Norris (Tony Goldwyn from Scandal) as he’s arriving at work and noticing the new armed security detail carefully checking everyone entering the building. Before we can think too much about this, we meet Melonie Diaz...
- 3/17/2017
- by Edward Douglas
- LRMonline.com
From Marine Boy and Thundercats to Cities Of Gold and Akira, we look at the TV shows and movies that introduced the UK to Japanese anime
One evening in 1994, the BBC screened a documentary simply called Manga. Presented by Jonathan Ross, it showcased the rising popularity of Japanese animation, largely focusing on the output of Manga Entertainment, whose dubbed VHS releases had made a huge impact on anime fans and caused a certain amount of consternation among the mainstream press.
For British viewers, the anime boom took a long time to arrive. In America, Japanese shows like Kimba The White Lion, Gigantor and Astro Boy were a common sight on television in the 1960s, yet it took until the late 70s and 80s, and a string of European-Japanese co-productions, before anime finally began to find a hold on UK television.
As a youngster at the time, I didn't necessarily know...
One evening in 1994, the BBC screened a documentary simply called Manga. Presented by Jonathan Ross, it showcased the rising popularity of Japanese animation, largely focusing on the output of Manga Entertainment, whose dubbed VHS releases had made a huge impact on anime fans and caused a certain amount of consternation among the mainstream press.
For British viewers, the anime boom took a long time to arrive. In America, Japanese shows like Kimba The White Lion, Gigantor and Astro Boy were a common sight on television in the 1960s, yet it took until the late 70s and 80s, and a string of European-Japanese co-productions, before anime finally began to find a hold on UK television.
As a youngster at the time, I didn't necessarily know...
- 3/24/2015
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Anime fan favourite Space Pirate Captain Harlock stars in a new movie... but is it worth the wait?
If you're a fan of manga, you probably already know Harlock, although his fan following is much larger in France, Quebec and Japan. Harlock is the brainchild of Leiji Matsumoto (creator of Space Battleship Yamato/Star Blazers). Harlock was created in the 50s, but his breakthrough came in 1978 with the release of the original television series, Space Pirate Captain Harlock. He has since then seen many incarnations, but he had been absent from our screens since 2002. Given the current trend of revisiting old franchise favourites, Harlock was bound to suffer the reboot treatment at one point. Harlock has already been rebooted several times over the years, long before the term "reboot" was actually coined, so it shouldn't have been a big deal, but some fans feared that Harlock's move to the big...
If you're a fan of manga, you probably already know Harlock, although his fan following is much larger in France, Quebec and Japan. Harlock is the brainchild of Leiji Matsumoto (creator of Space Battleship Yamato/Star Blazers). Harlock was created in the 50s, but his breakthrough came in 1978 with the release of the original television series, Space Pirate Captain Harlock. He has since then seen many incarnations, but he had been absent from our screens since 2002. Given the current trend of revisiting old franchise favourites, Harlock was bound to suffer the reboot treatment at one point. Harlock has already been rebooted several times over the years, long before the term "reboot" was actually coined, so it shouldn't have been a big deal, but some fans feared that Harlock's move to the big...
- 10/13/2014
- by sarahd
- Den of Geek
It’s 2199, and Earth is under attack from an alien race called the Gamilas. The assault has left the planet’s surface uninhabitable, and while the survivors huddle underground the radiation above will lead to mankind’s extinction in a year’s time. A message arrives from the previously unknown planet of Iskandar with an offer of help and designs for a special engine to travel there, pick up the device for Earth’s ailment, and return back before the year is up and humanity is doomed. The battleship Yamato, sunk during World War II, is resurrected and retrofitted into a space ship capable of making the journey across light years. A crew is assembled, and the ship sets off on a mission that will determine the fate of mankind. If the plot of Space Battleship Yamato sounds familiar but the name doesn’t it’s probably because you know it only by its American title. Star Blazers...
- 11/1/2013
- by Rob Hunter
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Skydance Productions has hired McQuarrie to direct the film they've had in the works since 2011, a live action adaptation of the oldest and most revered anime science fiction series. One of the originators of the anime boom from the 1980s, Star Blazers was an American adaption of the popular Japanese series Space Battleship Yamato, which premiered in 1979 with edits meeting the new country's broadcasting standards and practices. The plot takes place in 2199 Earth where an alien invasion has placed the entire planet in peril due to poisonous radiation. An ally appears in the form of the Iscandar, a race whose queen gives the humans plans to a space ship as a means to obtain a way to neutralize the environmental threat. All is not well as the invaders constantly place obstacles in the...
- 10/30/2013
- by Pietro Filipponi
- The Daily BLAM!
As a kid growing up in the 1980′s, you’d have been hard pressed not to have been influenced, even if unknowingly, by Japanese anime and culture. From Transformers to Robotech to Voltron and everything in between such as Battle of the Planets and the less popular Tranzor Z , the Japanese were responsible for creating some of the coolest giant robots and spaceships ever to appear on movie and television screens. One such ship was the Space Battleship Yamato, known in the Us as Star Blazers.
I have to admit, most of my memories of anime from my childhood contradict the facts of actually watching the shows from which my memories are derived. In short, I remember the images, toys, and models of many an anime, whether from visiting my local comic store, or somehow winding up with hand-me-down toys from my older brother and cousins. No matter the facts of said memories,...
I have to admit, most of my memories of anime from my childhood contradict the facts of actually watching the shows from which my memories are derived. In short, I remember the images, toys, and models of many an anime, whether from visiting my local comic store, or somehow winding up with hand-me-down toys from my older brother and cousins. No matter the facts of said memories,...
- 9/10/2013
- by Dominic F
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Drop whatever you're doing and watch this gloriously badass fan-made animated Star Wars short! It was created in a very cool anime style inspired by series such as Space Battleship Yamato, Star Blazers, Robotech and G-Force: Guardians of Space. The short features an epic battle between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire. The video mostly focuses on the point of view of the Tie Fighter pilots in full attack. It's kind of sad watching the Rebel Alliance being destroyed.
The short was awesomely created by British YouTube user OtaKing77077, and I wish an official Star Wars anime series like this actually existed. It'd be a huge hit among fans! I'm sure it will eventually reach the eyes of George Lucas, but of course nothing will ever come of it.
The space dogfight action sequences are synched to the song "Born To Lose" by Sleigh Bells, but it would definitely play...
The short was awesomely created by British YouTube user OtaKing77077, and I wish an official Star Wars anime series like this actually existed. It'd be a huge hit among fans! I'm sure it will eventually reach the eyes of George Lucas, but of course nothing will ever come of it.
The space dogfight action sequences are synched to the song "Born To Lose" by Sleigh Bells, but it would definitely play...
- 9/17/2012
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
With just over a month until the 16th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan) kicks off in South Korea, we get the first news of what to expect from this year's film programme. Space Battleship Yamato, known to audiences in the West as Space Cruiser Yamato and Star Blazers, was one of the most influential science fiction anime series to come out of Japan in the 1970s. The series follows the adventures of Captain Juzo Okita (Abraham Avatar in the English dubbed versions) and his crew as they head off into space in a craft fashioned from the wreckage of the famous World War II naval battleship, Yamato, in order to save the planet. After an alien attack renders the surface of the Earth inhospitable, the...
- 6/13/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Your Weekly Source for the Newest Releases to Blu-Ray Tuesday, October 4th, 2011
‘Twas The Night Before Christmas: 2-Disc Deluxe Edition (1974)
Synopsis: For some unexplained reason, letters to Santa Claus are being returned to the children of Junctionville. It seems some resident has angered St. Nick by calling him “a fraudulent myth!” Skeptical Albert Mouse has to be brought to his senses “and let up a little on the wonder why.” How Albert is persuaded to change his tune paves the way for Santa’s jolly return to town – and the joyous finale of the animated fable inspired by Clement Moore’s poem and produced by the merrymaking conjures of Rankin/bass studios. The voice talents of Joel grey, Tammy Grimes, John McGiver and George Gobel make this festive fable even more fun. (highdefdigest.com)
Special Features:
Tba
The 12 Dogs Of Christmas (2005)
Synopsis: A girl who uses dogs to...
‘Twas The Night Before Christmas: 2-Disc Deluxe Edition (1974)
Synopsis: For some unexplained reason, letters to Santa Claus are being returned to the children of Junctionville. It seems some resident has angered St. Nick by calling him “a fraudulent myth!” Skeptical Albert Mouse has to be brought to his senses “and let up a little on the wonder why.” How Albert is persuaded to change his tune paves the way for Santa’s jolly return to town – and the joyous finale of the animated fable inspired by Clement Moore’s poem and produced by the merrymaking conjures of Rankin/bass studios. The voice talents of Joel grey, Tammy Grimes, John McGiver and George Gobel make this festive fable even more fun. (highdefdigest.com)
Special Features:
Tba
The 12 Dogs Of Christmas (2005)
Synopsis: A girl who uses dogs to...
- 10/3/2011
- by Travis Keune
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
You know us - always on the lookout for cool things to share with our readers. Well, today we have some artwork and illustrations from Boston-based artist and musician Ralph Dinunzio. Obviously talent runs in the family as it was Ralph's brother, filmmaker Christopher Dinunzio (Her Heart Still Beats), who pointed us in his direction.
Here's how Ralph describes himself on his official R. Dinunzio Illustrations website:
As I started to compile artwork for this website, I realized just how much my artwork is influenced by my childhood obsessions with Kung Fu and Monster/Kaiju movies. I blame this influence on the syndicated horror show Creature Double Future and Kung Fu Theater and later Japanese anime like Star Blazers, Battle of the Planets and Go Nagai's Force Five! I'm not sure if this [is the] reason people have used my artwork in the past or not, but the influence is there.
This...
Here's how Ralph describes himself on his official R. Dinunzio Illustrations website:
As I started to compile artwork for this website, I realized just how much my artwork is influenced by my childhood obsessions with Kung Fu and Monster/Kaiju movies. I blame this influence on the syndicated horror show Creature Double Future and Kung Fu Theater and later Japanese anime like Star Blazers, Battle of the Planets and Go Nagai's Force Five! I'm not sure if this [is the] reason people have used my artwork in the past or not, but the influence is there.
This...
- 9/7/2011
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
Anticipation triumphs!
Once upon a time, there was an essay—a special gift I wrote for Liberal Dead. I don’t know where it is now but I think I got rid of it because it just wasn’t that good. It was a report from hitting three real small-time video stores in Minneapolis and St. Paul in search of the new trash film, something rare that had been waiting, watching, for untold years. It was a tempting prospect. I scored. I got Replikator (which may be a bad Terminator rip-off), Super Cops (kung-fu movie with bad translation), MST3K: The Movie, Howling Part IV (when they started going bad), and a few episodes from the middle of the third and last season of Star Blazers. All very satisfactory. Then I found the Treasure.
The Treasure is a VHS tape that is sitting on my shelf, in my bedroom, next...
Once upon a time, there was an essay—a special gift I wrote for Liberal Dead. I don’t know where it is now but I think I got rid of it because it just wasn’t that good. It was a report from hitting three real small-time video stores in Minneapolis and St. Paul in search of the new trash film, something rare that had been waiting, watching, for untold years. It was a tempting prospect. I scored. I got Replikator (which may be a bad Terminator rip-off), Super Cops (kung-fu movie with bad translation), MST3K: The Movie, Howling Part IV (when they started going bad), and a few episodes from the middle of the third and last season of Star Blazers. All very satisfactory. Then I found the Treasure.
The Treasure is a VHS tape that is sitting on my shelf, in my bedroom, next...
- 7/7/2011
- by Adam Bezecny
- The Liberal Dead
One of the best things about being a filmmaker is that I have a built in excuse for my admittedly excessive geekdom. Of course, I have to read comics or obscure scifi books and even graphic novels (though my attorney insist that they are just comic books with an uppity attitude). Even a fondness for crappy 1980s era cartoons is understood in the wake of blockbusters like the Transformers franchise in film and the development of projects like Thundercats and Voltron for TV. Even my elderly relatives have conceded that such strange interests may yet result in my supporting myself with my creative work.
All of that understanding evaporates when it comes to anime and manga. Oh, it was okay when I was younger. My fascination with the new wave of cartoons from Japan in the 60s would pass. My mother actually liked Kimba, so she tolerated my devotion to Astro Boy,...
All of that understanding evaporates when it comes to anime and manga. Oh, it was okay when I was younger. My fascination with the new wave of cartoons from Japan in the 60s would pass. My mother actually liked Kimba, so she tolerated my devotion to Astro Boy,...
- 5/22/2011
- by DL
- doorQ.com
Mirielle Enos, of HBO's Big Love (she played the twins Jodean and Kathy) and of single-appearance guest roles on several TV dramas, has been getting lots of attention for her lead role on AMC's new The Killing. The remake of the Danish crime drama is actually really good, as one would expect from the station that has brought us Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and The Walking Dead. But a large part of the success of those shows comes from choosing the appropriate lead to carry the show: can you imagine Breaking Bad without Bryan Cranston? Or a different actor trying to pull off Don Draper, or Rick Grimes? So, The Killing is good; and a big reason for that is Mirielle Enos - AMC has made an interesting choice but again, one that seems spot-on. She manages to convey a depth of emotion with her signature move (gaze-off-into-middle-distance) that seems...
- 4/26/2011
- Shadowlocked
Source Code
Opens: April 1st 2011
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright
Director: Duncan Jones
Summary: A decorated soldier discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. The experiment is a program that enables him to re-live another man's identity in the last eight minutes of his life which he must do repeatedly to find the truth.
Analysis: Two years ago British filmmaker Duncan Jones delivered his indie debut feature "Moon", a little seen but critically acclaimed sci-fi tale that was essentially Sam Rockwell acting alone or against himself. It was fresh, innovative, somber and overall heralded the arrival of a director to watch out for. After failing to secure funding for his next project, Jones quickly hopped onto the helm of this high-concept action/time travel blockbuster.
Naturally came the calls of Jones being a sell out, after all the...
Opens: April 1st 2011
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright
Director: Duncan Jones
Summary: A decorated soldier discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. The experiment is a program that enables him to re-live another man's identity in the last eight minutes of his life which he must do repeatedly to find the truth.
Analysis: Two years ago British filmmaker Duncan Jones delivered his indie debut feature "Moon", a little seen but critically acclaimed sci-fi tale that was essentially Sam Rockwell acting alone or against himself. It was fresh, innovative, somber and overall heralded the arrival of a director to watch out for. After failing to secure funding for his next project, Jones quickly hopped onto the helm of this high-concept action/time travel blockbuster.
Naturally came the calls of Jones being a sell out, after all the...
- 3/20/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Of course the big news items yesterday were the announcements related to marriage equality. As always, I prefer my legal analysis from the Law Dork, Chris Geidner. Basically, the Doma announcement was nice, but not at all what the headlines said. As for the filing on Prop 8 asking the stay be lifted, that’s more interesting. Particularly if you live in California.
Does anyone else think that allowing Prince Harry to throw the stag party for Prince William is risky? At least taking a yacht out into international waters should minimize witnesses. But I admit to spitting Coke Zero on my keyboard when I read that the party would involve a “variety of extreme watersports.”
The DC Agenda has a nice roundup of various gay Oscar winners, from costume designers like Albert Wolsky to Dustin Lance Black.
Speaker John Boehner issued a brief statement regarding Doma yesterday:“While Americans want...
Does anyone else think that allowing Prince Harry to throw the stag party for Prince William is risky? At least taking a yacht out into international waters should minimize witnesses. But I admit to spitting Coke Zero on my keyboard when I read that the party would involve a “variety of extreme watersports.”
The DC Agenda has a nice roundup of various gay Oscar winners, from costume designers like Albert Wolsky to Dustin Lance Black.
Speaker John Boehner issued a brief statement regarding Doma yesterday:“While Americans want...
- 2/24/2011
- by Ed Kennedy
- The Backlot
Known for his work in movies like The Usual Suspects and The Way Of The Gun, Christopher McQuarrie sets his sights on a new project: writing the script for the recently announced Star Blazers live action film. With two other major projects on his plate in the form of scripting two upcoming movies, one wonders when the script will be completed. The project will be supported by David Ellison from Skydance Productions, who is currently trying to attain the movie rights.
McQuarrie and co. are not the only ones working on a Star Blazers adaptation – Takashi Yamazaki (The Returner) has made a live action version of the same series, but using the original Japanese Space Battleship Yamato as the source.
McQuarrie and co. are not the only ones working on a Star Blazers adaptation – Takashi Yamazaki (The Returner) has made a live action version of the same series, but using the original Japanese Space Battleship Yamato as the source.
- 2/24/2011
- by Aaron M.K.
- Nerdly
The Usual Suspects scribe Christopher McQuarrie is a busy man at the moment. With a script at the ready for The Wolverine and having performed re-write duties on Bryan Singer’s next feature, Jack the Giant Killer, he’s now been hired to bring 70’s animated sci-fi series Star Blazers to the big screen.
This will be a live-action version of the original (made via Skydance Productions’ deal with Paramount Pictures), which itself was an adaptation of the Japanese anime series Space Battleship Yamato. Described as a “space opera” (a term which can’t help but evoke the memories of the first Star Wars trilogy), the original had all the key ingredients to potentially create here, a thrilling sci-fi epic: alien invasions, the human race under threat of extinction, a space mission to save the earth.
McQuarrie seems to be making amends for his last cinematic effort, The Tourist, although...
This will be a live-action version of the original (made via Skydance Productions’ deal with Paramount Pictures), which itself was an adaptation of the Japanese anime series Space Battleship Yamato. Described as a “space opera” (a term which can’t help but evoke the memories of the first Star Wars trilogy), the original had all the key ingredients to potentially create here, a thrilling sci-fi epic: alien invasions, the human race under threat of extinction, a space mission to save the earth.
McQuarrie seems to be making amends for his last cinematic effort, The Tourist, although...
- 2/23/2011
- by Adam Lowes
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie (The Wolverine, Jack the Giant Killer) has reportedly been hired to pen the big-screen adaptation of the 1979 animated sci-fi TV series, Star Blazers for Skydance Productions (True Grit).
Deadline reports that Skydance founder David Ellison (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol) who currently has a deal with Paramount Pictures to co-finance and produce four to six movies per year through his production company will produce the live-action Star Blazers feature film, alongside with Josh Klein.
No plot details on the feature film have been revealed, but the animated TV series, based on the Japanese animated series Uchû senkan Yamato (a.k.a Space Battleship Yamato) centered on a spaceship’s quest to make it back in time to save planet Earth from extinction.
No production or release dates for Star Blazers have been announced.
Deadline reports that Skydance founder David Ellison (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol) who currently has a deal with Paramount Pictures to co-finance and produce four to six movies per year through his production company will produce the live-action Star Blazers feature film, alongside with Josh Klein.
No plot details on the feature film have been revealed, but the animated TV series, based on the Japanese animated series Uchû senkan Yamato (a.k.a Space Battleship Yamato) centered on a spaceship’s quest to make it back in time to save planet Earth from extinction.
No production or release dates for Star Blazers have been announced.
- 2/23/2011
- by Jason Moore
- ScifiMafia
According to Deadline Brothers Ellison’s Skydance Productions was negotiating to buy the rights to the 1970s Japanese animation series Star Blazers, and would hire scribe Christopher McQuarrie to write the script for a big budget live-action film adaptation.
Also, Ellison and Josh C. Kline will produce the manga together with McQuarrie. The series, an American dub of the Japanese anime “Space Battleship Yamato,” follows a spaceship, built from the remains of a WW2 battleship that flees Earth after a war with a race known as the Gamilons, and a last rush journey through space to save the planet.
The production rights aren’t bought yet,–Ain’t It Cool reports that Lucasfilm is also in the race. But it seems like Skydance are the probable winners, mostly with an Oscar-nominated writer involved, one who’s gained tentpole experience recently, writing The Wolverine for Darren Aronofsky. Let’s remind that...
Also, Ellison and Josh C. Kline will produce the manga together with McQuarrie. The series, an American dub of the Japanese anime “Space Battleship Yamato,” follows a spaceship, built from the remains of a WW2 battleship that flees Earth after a war with a race known as the Gamilons, and a last rush journey through space to save the planet.
The production rights aren’t bought yet,–Ain’t It Cool reports that Lucasfilm is also in the race. But it seems like Skydance are the probable winners, mostly with an Oscar-nominated writer involved, one who’s gained tentpole experience recently, writing The Wolverine for Darren Aronofsky. Let’s remind that...
- 2/23/2011
- by Nikola Mraovic
- Filmofilia
In case you didn’t know, Hollywood scribe Christopher McQuarrie has been hired to pen a live-action adaptation of Star Blazers, the 70s anime series surrounding the crew of a Space Batttleship Yomato. Deadline reports the writer will pen the script for an adaptation of Star Blazers for David Ellison’s Skydance Productions. The series is actually an adaptation of the Japanese anime series “Space Battleship Yamato,” which was recently turned into its own live-action film. The Japanese live-action film must have spurred interest from Us studios, especially after seeing the epic clip and trailer below of how they pulled it off Star Trek/Firefly style. I have to hope that the Us version does exactly this for their adaptation. McQuarrie is a good writer too, so it will be cool to see what he puts together for the movie.
The premise of that film, directed by Takashi Yamazaki, who also directed the VFX,...
The premise of that film, directed by Takashi Yamazaki, who also directed the VFX,...
- 2/22/2011
- by Kevin Coll
- FusedFilm
It’s been a good month to be either Megan and David Ellison, or any film looking for a shot at financing.
The duo have been on a tear lately, either financing or co-financing films like Andrew Dominik’s Cogan’S Trade, John Hillcoat’s The Wettest County, and possibly even Paul Thomas Anderson’s long talked-about Inherent Vice and his film, The Master.
Read more on Christopher McQuarrie to adapt “Star Blazers” for the big screen…...
The duo have been on a tear lately, either financing or co-financing films like Andrew Dominik’s Cogan’S Trade, John Hillcoat’s The Wettest County, and possibly even Paul Thomas Anderson’s long talked-about Inherent Vice and his film, The Master.
Read more on Christopher McQuarrie to adapt “Star Blazers” for the big screen…...
- 2/22/2011
- by Joshua Brunsting
- GordonandtheWhale
A live action version of the classic anime TV series Star Blazers is being turned into a movie. The show originally aired between 1979 and 1984 and is based on the Japanese anime series Space Battleship Yamato. Both shows are described as being “‘space opera,’ involving alien invasions, the near extinction of the human race, and a last dash journey through space to save the planet.” Deadline reports that Skydance Productions are financing the project and have hired Christopher McQuarrie to write the script for the film. McQuarrie is best know for writing The Usual Suspects and is currently working on a script for Top Gun 2.
Star Blazers follows the story of the last remaining humans trying to save Earth from an alien invasion. There is already a feature film of the Japanese show in production, that is set to come out December 1, 2011.
Skydance Productions have really made a name for...
Star Blazers follows the story of the last remaining humans trying to save Earth from an alien invasion. There is already a feature film of the Japanese show in production, that is set to come out December 1, 2011.
Skydance Productions have really made a name for...
- 2/22/2011
- by Ryan Laster
- If It's Movies
Star Blazers could be heading back to the big screen! A live-action version of the classic anime TV series - which originally aired between 1979 and 1984, and once outgrossed Star Wars at the cinema when it was edited into a movie - is in the works. Usual Suspects and Top Gun 2 scribe Christopher McQuarrie has been hired to write a script for the film, while Skydance Productions are currently negotiating for the rights to the series. The basic plot follows WWII battleship-turned spacecraft Yamata and its attempts to rescue the Earth by...
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- 2/22/2011
- by Josh Winning
- TotalFilm
The brand spanking new Skydance Productions is looking very healthy these days, thanks to the success of the Coen Brothers’ Western True Grit, which has gross well over $100 million as well as earning 10 Oscar nominations.
David Ellison‘s company is paired with Paramount (as of 2009) to produce/finance a handful of films a year. Star Blazers,a big-budget adaptation of the 1970s animated science fiction TV series, is now on the agenda, and Skydance has hired Chris McQuarrie (Valkyrie, The Tourist) to pen a draft. [Deadline]
Star Blazers tells the story of the last remaining humans attempting to survive/save Earth out in the far reaches of space from an alien invasion. As you well know, alien invasion films are in short supply these days, so to see this genre getting some love is nice. Er, wait.
Sarcasm aside. McQuarrie’s a capable writer and Ellison has some street cred now.
David Ellison‘s company is paired with Paramount (as of 2009) to produce/finance a handful of films a year. Star Blazers,a big-budget adaptation of the 1970s animated science fiction TV series, is now on the agenda, and Skydance has hired Chris McQuarrie (Valkyrie, The Tourist) to pen a draft. [Deadline]
Star Blazers tells the story of the last remaining humans attempting to survive/save Earth out in the far reaches of space from an alien invasion. As you well know, alien invasion films are in short supply these days, so to see this genre getting some love is nice. Er, wait.
Sarcasm aside. McQuarrie’s a capable writer and Ellison has some street cred now.
- 2/22/2011
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
First of all, here's the shortest review I've ever written: DC Animated released their next direct-to-dvd movie this week, All-Star Superman. I was planning to give it a full review, because we all know I loves me some DC animated fare. There's just one teensy problem: It's boring. It hurts me to say it, but it was so dull I couldn't even finish it. They completely shit the bed on this one -- it's painfully slow, the animation was clunky, and it features some of the most uninspired voice acting they've ever had (not even the voice of Christina Hendricks as Lois Lane could save it). And believe me, I adored Grant Morrison's comic book series of the same name. Somehow they took all of that heartfelt, riveting drama and drained the life from it. There's my review for you. I can only hope something better comes out of...
- 2/22/2011
- by TK
"Star Blazers" is going to hit big screen. Skydance Productions is currently negotiating a deal to turn the animated sci-fi TV series into a live-action feature film, Deadline Hollywood says. David Ellison, Christopher McQuarrie and Josh C. Kline are set to produce the upcoming film project.
The site further reports Christopher McQuarrie will be hired to pen the script for the movie adaptation. The Academy Award-winning writer has previously penned "The Way of the Gun" and "Valkyrie". He also provides the scripts for "The Wolverine" and Bryan Singer's "Jack the Giant Killer" which are going to enter production soon.
"Star Blazers" TV series, which was first aired in 1979, is based on Japanese anime series "Space Battleship Yamato". Both are described as "space opera" which involves "alien invasions, the near extinction of the human race, and a last dash journey through space to save the planet."...
The site further reports Christopher McQuarrie will be hired to pen the script for the movie adaptation. The Academy Award-winning writer has previously penned "The Way of the Gun" and "Valkyrie". He also provides the scripts for "The Wolverine" and Bryan Singer's "Jack the Giant Killer" which are going to enter production soon.
"Star Blazers" TV series, which was first aired in 1979, is based on Japanese anime series "Space Battleship Yamato". Both are described as "space opera" which involves "alien invasions, the near extinction of the human race, and a last dash journey through space to save the planet."...
- 2/22/2011
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
Oscar-winning writer Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects) has teamed up with Skydance Productions to pen the script for a "Star Blazers" movie, based on the 1970s animated sci-fi TV series, which was itself based on the Japanese anime show called "Space Battleship Yamato." The large scale, big-budget, live-action film is described as a "space opera," involving alien invasions, the near extinction of the human race, and a last dash journey through space to save the planet. Skydance is owned by David Ellison, the son of Oracle founder/billionaire Larry Ellison. David recently raised $350 million to co-finance 4-6 films per year. Some of his investments have been in "True Grit," "Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol" and the upcoming "Top Gun" sequel.
- 2/22/2011
- WorstPreviews.com
Scribe Christopher McQuarrie ("The Usual Suspects," "Valkyrie") has reportedly signed on to provide the screenplay for a new feature film adaptation of "Star Blazers" at Skydance Productions reports Deadline.
Yet there's more to this story it would seem as AICN say they've heard the rights are still up for grabs with several companies including Lucasfilm are in pursuit of them.
Known for its epic imagery and themes of brave sacrifice and respect for heroes lost in the line of duty, "Star Blazers" is a re-dubbed and re-edited adaptation of the 1970s Japanese anime TV series "Space Battleship Yamato."
It comprised three television series, five animated features and a host of merchandise. A live-action adaptation was set up at Walt Disney Studios back in the 1990s, while attempts were made to revive the property again back in 2006.
The story is set in the 22nd century after an alien attack on Earth...
Yet there's more to this story it would seem as AICN say they've heard the rights are still up for grabs with several companies including Lucasfilm are in pursuit of them.
Known for its epic imagery and themes of brave sacrifice and respect for heroes lost in the line of duty, "Star Blazers" is a re-dubbed and re-edited adaptation of the 1970s Japanese anime TV series "Space Battleship Yamato."
It comprised three television series, five animated features and a host of merchandise. A live-action adaptation was set up at Walt Disney Studios back in the 1990s, while attempts were made to revive the property again back in 2006.
The story is set in the 22nd century after an alien attack on Earth...
- 2/22/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
If the stars align right, it looks like screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie will become the latest fellow to take a whack at adapting the Japanese manga sci-fi seriess Star Blazers into an American feature film. Right now David Ellison, the son of Oracle founder billionaire Larry Ellison, is negotiating for the rights to the franchise.
McQuarrie won a Best Original Screenplay Oscar for The Usual Suspects. He went on to turn in the script for Valkyrie and also did an uncredited draft of Bryan Singer's first X-Men movie back in 1999. He's also done the latest drafts for The Wolverine, the second stand-alone movie for that Marvel superhero and the one under the direction of Black Swan's Darren Aronofsky, and Singer's next project, Jack the Giant Killer.
Ellison's interest in acquiring the Star Blazers rights may come from the buzz being generated by the $30 million dollar live action movie being released this winter in Japan.
McQuarrie won a Best Original Screenplay Oscar for The Usual Suspects. He went on to turn in the script for Valkyrie and also did an uncredited draft of Bryan Singer's first X-Men movie back in 1999. He's also done the latest drafts for The Wolverine, the second stand-alone movie for that Marvel superhero and the one under the direction of Black Swan's Darren Aronofsky, and Singer's next project, Jack the Giant Killer.
Ellison's interest in acquiring the Star Blazers rights may come from the buzz being generated by the $30 million dollar live action movie being released this winter in Japan.
- 2/22/2011
- by Patrick Sauriol
- Corona's Coming Attractions
Welcome to The Morning Read. Why am I not friends with David and Megan Ellison? Last week we ran the story about Megan Ellison stepping in to help finance two upcoming Paul Thomas Anderson movies, "The Master" and "Inherent Vice," and now there's news of her brother possibly stepping in to help finance "Star Blazers," with a script by Christopher McQuarrie. Harry at Ain't It Cool says the rights still aren't pinned down, and that Lucasfilm might also be in the race at the moment, which leads me to ask "Why are the rights to 'Star Blazers' a hot commodity all...
- 2/22/2011
- Hitfix
The parade of cult kids’ shows being marched into the maw of the Movie Machine continues apace, with the latest title targeted for conversion being animated series Star Blazers, for which Skydance Production is in the middle of nabbing the rights and handing over to Chris McQuarrie for scripting duties./Grandpa mode: on/ Those old enough to remember might recall that Star Blazers appeared back in the 1970s on that glowing box that The Kids Today largely ignore, and itself was an adaptation of the Japanese series Space Battleship Yamato series, with the usual editing and dubbing. /Grandpa mode: off/Considered to be one of the first truly popular crossovers from anime, the series took place on a badly polluted Earth with the human race staring extinction in the face within a year. A mysterious alien race offers them the plans to build an engine that can make their ships...
- 2/22/2011
- EmpireOnline
After years of drifting around Hollywood seeking salvation, a live-action Star Blazers is finally picking up some heat. Deadline says that Skydance Productions (who co-financed True Grit) is angling for the rights to the animated property, with the intention of getting Oscar-winning screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects, The Wolverine, Way Of The Gun) to adapt. But wait -- maybe not so fast. AICN says they've heard the rights are actually still up for grabs, and that...
- 2/21/2011
- by Dave Davis
- JoBlo.com
The career of writer Christopher McQuarrie has been an uneven one. He, of course, started off his career with the unforgettable The Usual Suspects, for which he won an Oscar. He then moved on to both write and direct The Way of the Gun, which, while not as good as his first film, is still fairly solid. The same can't be said for McQuarrie's list two efforts, Valkyrie with Tom Cruise and the now-infamous The Tourist with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. The writer already has two major projects in the works, having been assigned to script both Darren Aronofsky's The Wolverine and Bryan Singer's Jack the Giant Killer, but now another film has been put in his lap. Deadline reports that McQuarrie has been hired to adapt the 1970s animated series Star Blazers into a feature film. The cartoon was based on a Japanese animated series called...
- 2/21/2011
- cinemablend.com
The career of writer Christopher McQuarrie has been an uneven one. He, of course, started off his career with the unforgettable The Usual Suspects, for which he won an Oscar. He then moved on to both write and direct The Way of the Gun, which, while not as good as his first film, is still fairly solid. The same can't be said for McQuarrie's list two efforts, Valkyrie with Tom Cruise and the now-infamous The Tourist with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. The writer already has two major projects in the works, having been assigned to script both Darren Aronofsky's The Wolverine and Bryan Singer's Jack the Giant Killer, but now another film has been put in his lap. Deadline reports that McQuarrie has been hired to adapt the 1970s animated series Star Blazers into a feature film. The cartoon was based on a Japanese animated series called...
- 2/21/2011
- cinemablend.com
He's turned in great work for director Bryan Singer in the form of screenplays for The Usual Suspects and Valkyrie, but he also had a hand in the mess that was The Tourist. With the anticipated Wolverine sequel and Jack the Giant Killer already on their way into production, writer Christopher McQuarrie is ready for his next project. Deadline reports the writer will pen the script for an adaptation of the 1970's animated sci-fi series Star Blazers for David Ellison's Skydance Productions. The series is actually an adaptation of the Japanese anime series Space Battleship Yamato which was turned into its own live-action film recently. Here's a synopsis of the first full season of the series: In the year 2199, the war with the planet Gamilon has turned the Earth's surface into a radioactive desert. The radiation will penetrate the bedrock protecting humanity's underground cities in another year, destroying ...
- 2/21/2011
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
While a live-action adaptation of the hit show Space Battleship Yamato (or Star Blazers in the Us) was released last year in Japan, Hollywood is looking to make their own feature film in the series. Deadline Hollywood is reporting that Skydance Productions is currently negotiating to turn the series into a “large scale” film. Christopher McQuarrie (The Wolverine, Usual Suspects) will be penning the script. The show featured about a journey to save humanity after aliens almost destroyed humanity.
- 2/21/2011
- by Matt Keith
- Killer Films
It looks like the 1970's Japanese animated series Space Battleship Yamato a.k.a. Star Blazers is going to get an Americanized big screen live-action feature film adaptation. The Japanese recently adapted the series into a live-action film that looked pretty freakin' awesome.
The story is set in the year 2199, and here's a story description... An alien race known as the "Gamilas" or "Gamilons" in the English Star Blazers dub unleash radioactive meteorite bombs on Earth, rendering the planet's surface uninhabitable. Humanity has retreated into deep underground cities, but the radioactivity is slowly affecting them as well, with mankind's extinction estimated in one year. Earth's space fleet is hopelessly outclassed by the Gamilas and all seems lost until a message capsule from a mysterious crashed spaceship is retrieved on Mars. The capsule yields blueprints for a faster-than-light engine and an offering of help from Queen Starsha of the planet Iscandar in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
The story is set in the year 2199, and here's a story description... An alien race known as the "Gamilas" or "Gamilons" in the English Star Blazers dub unleash radioactive meteorite bombs on Earth, rendering the planet's surface uninhabitable. Humanity has retreated into deep underground cities, but the radioactivity is slowly affecting them as well, with mankind's extinction estimated in one year. Earth's space fleet is hopelessly outclassed by the Gamilas and all seems lost until a message capsule from a mysterious crashed spaceship is retrieved on Mars. The capsule yields blueprints for a faster-than-light engine and an offering of help from Queen Starsha of the planet Iscandar in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
- 2/21/2011
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
David Ellison and Skydance Productions have turned into the go-to financing partner for Paramount. The company put up money for True Grit and Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, and will be behind the Jack Ryan reboot and the sequel to Top Gun if that film goes forward. Christopher McQuarrie will add the script for that Top Gun sequel to his resume that already includes The Usual Suspects and Valkyrie. And now Skydance is negotiating to buy the rights to classic anime series Star Blazers, and will turn to Mr. McQuarrie to craft the script for a live-action version . Star Blazers is the Us version of the Japanese show Space Battleship Yamato, in which the scuttled WWII battleship Yamato was turned into a space-going vessel. The goal: undertake a last-ditch interstellar journey to collect and return technology that will dissipate radiation that has rendered the Earth inhabitable. An alien race called...
- 2/21/2011
- by Russ Fischer
- Slash Film
Or at least, he will be adapting a live-action movie based on the “Star Blazers” animated series when producer David Ellison finally nails down the rights to the 1970s animated science fiction TV series. “Star Blazers” was the name of the Westernized/International broadcast version of the Japanese animated series “Space Battleship Yamato”, itself getting the live-action big-screen treatment over in Japan. You can see trailers for it here, so basically this is what you’re getting with a “Star Blazers” movie if one actually ever gets made. Or perhaps something along the lines of the recent “Battlestar Galactica” re-imagining, given the whole “save the human race from alien menace” plot and all. The Japanese version will probably be much more faithful, but I suspect McQuarrie and company will be going for more “grit and gritty” with the storyline. The animated “Star Blazers” ran for three seasons in the States...
- 2/21/2011
- by Nix
- Beyond Hollywood
Exclusive: David Ellison's Skydance Productions is negotiating a rights deal to turn the 1970s animated science fiction TV series Star Blazers into a large scale live action feature. Ellison will hire Christopher McQuarrie to write the script, with Ellison and Josh Klein producing. The series was based on the Japanese anime series Space Battleship Yamato. Both are described as "space opera," involving alien invasions, the near extinction of the human race, and a last dash journey through space to save the planet. Ellison started Skydance with hopes he could emulate the studio-aligned-producer-who-can-put-up-50% model that Thomas Tull's Legendary Pictures has succeeded with at Warner Bros. Ellison made a deal with Paramount Pictures in late 2009 to co-finance four to six pictures per year, and then raised a reported $350 million in debt and equity funding. His Paramount deal has gotten off to a flying start: Skydance funded half of True Grit,...
- 2/21/2011
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
Skydance Productions has announced plans to bring "Star Blazers" to the big screen, according to a story at Deadline , who also add that Christopher McQuarrie has signed on to provide the screenplay. On the heels of Star Wars immense popularity and a reignited love for the sci-fi genre, "Star Blazers" debuted as an American cartoon in 1978. The show itself was an adaptation of a Japanese cartoon, "Space Battleship Yamato" that first aired in 1974. The American version re-dubbed and re-edited portions of the series, which told the story of a starship racing to find a device to cleanse the Earth of radiation forced on it by alien invaders. McQuarrie, best known as the writer of The Usual Suspects and Valkyrie , also wrote and directed 2000's The...
- 2/21/2011
- Comingsoon.net
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