Given the long running financial difficulties of Hong Kong based animation house Imagi Studios this does not come as a surprise but it is no less disappointing for being expected: The long in development feature adaptation of Gatchaman is now officially dead.
Gatchaman is a fast-paced sci-fi action-thriller that's the moving story of a lone-wolf maverick youth who finds a family in the most unexpected way. Against a backdrop of stealthy ninja-style shadow fighting to full-scale clashes, five teenage superheroes defend Earth in an epic battle against evil aliens bent on destroying our planet.
The original classic anime series was known variously around the globe as Battle of the Planets or, as I knew it, G-Force and anticipation for a big screen version has been high for years. But, unfortunately, Imagi was never able to match the early success they had with the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie and the widespread failure of Astro-Boy - which I actually enjoyed - sealed the company's fate. Though the company managed to avoid fully closing shop via a massive reorganization, Anime Nation is now reporting that the Gatchaman movie has been officially removed from their upcoming slate.
See the teaser below for a taste of what could have been.
Gatchaman is a fast-paced sci-fi action-thriller that's the moving story of a lone-wolf maverick youth who finds a family in the most unexpected way. Against a backdrop of stealthy ninja-style shadow fighting to full-scale clashes, five teenage superheroes defend Earth in an epic battle against evil aliens bent on destroying our planet.
The original classic anime series was known variously around the globe as Battle of the Planets or, as I knew it, G-Force and anticipation for a big screen version has been high for years. But, unfortunately, Imagi was never able to match the early success they had with the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie and the widespread failure of Astro-Boy - which I actually enjoyed - sealed the company's fate. Though the company managed to avoid fully closing shop via a massive reorganization, Anime Nation is now reporting that the Gatchaman movie has been officially removed from their upcoming slate.
See the teaser below for a taste of what could have been.
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Its a damn shame. I believe Gatchaman has the potential to challenge the status quo in an animated feature film market oversaturated with PG-rated family fare.
This is sad news. My love for anime was born from having watched Battle of the Planets every day on syndicated television when I'd get home from school, back in the seventies. I was really looking forward to this movie, and I still hold out hope that there will be a 21st-century rendition of Gatchaman in the not-so-distant future, if not by Imagi (I believe that they would have done a fine job) then perhaps by another studio.
Greg - I am in the same situation. Battle of the Planets was actually my second after Speed Racer but it was so much better and I didn't even know what Japanamation was at the time. Is there no other company that can take the movie and run with it? I can only imagine by the looks of it that the movie was already made for the most part.