Live Action Anime: We're Never Gonna See 'Em ...Right?

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Live Action Anime: We're Never Gonna See 'Em ...Right?

Postby azulmagia » Mon Oct 29, 2007 6:40 pm

I came across this recently on Ain't it Cool News:

File this one under "never say never"... According to Bloody Disgusting, Warner Bros. Pictures is hot to get the ball rolling on its live action remake of Katsuhiro Otomo's anime/manga classic Akira before the writers' strike becomes an issue. Reportedly, Irish director Ruairi Robinson (The Silent City) will be helming the project.

Back in 2003, Stephen Norrington (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) was attached to direct a version of the film, written by James Robinson.

In Akira, Otomo presented a vision of Tokyo destroyed by war, rebuilt, and now ready to explode under the pressure of its internal strife. The movie's clashing biker gangs and heady psychic visions became an early testament to the violent, mature side of anime when the film was brought to North America in 1989.

The anime movie is currently available in North America through Geneon. The manga, which was started before and finished after the anime, is available through Dark Horse.

Personally... the project is banished to development/legal hell, but I would rather see Guillermo del Toro's take on Otomo's claustrophobic Akira-precursor Domu.

(Link)


Every time I hear a news story about a western live-action adaptation of an anime/manga series, (as opposed to such productions as live-action Cromartie High, Nana, and God forbid, Dragonball Z: The Magic Begins) it's either a story that some director or producer have optioned the rights to the property in question (like James Cameron and live-action Battle Angel Alita), or that pre-production has hit some snag or hasn't even begun (like live-action Evangelion).

I haven't seen a single news story about anyone being definitely being cast in a part in any of these movies (as compared to say, the latest Star Trek flick... which so far sounds like it's going to be complete shite BTW), let alone that shooting has begun.

So what we have are several live-action anime adaptations that are in one way or another, in limbo as it were.

I think we have to face it: we're not going to see any live-action versions of any of our favourite animes anytime in the forseeable future. I mean this in the same sense as we are not going to see a Middle-East peace anytime in the forseeable future.

Anyone disagree with me?
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Postby togi » Mon Oct 29, 2007 8:54 pm

i tend to agree, it is much more probable that we will see more comic adaptations before and any live action anime in the near or somewhat near future. sad indeed.
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Postby BasharOfTheAges » Mon Oct 29, 2007 9:53 pm

One can only hope the people that finance movie making will continue to realize live-action anime adaptations are money-sinks that are pretty much destined to be b-grade cult films and there's little anyone can do about that.
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Postby Farlo » Mon Oct 29, 2007 10:19 pm

transformers
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Postby Minion » Mon Oct 29, 2007 10:23 pm

Farlo wrote:transformers


/thread
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Postby The Origonal Head Hunter » Mon Oct 29, 2007 10:25 pm

Minion wrote:
Farlo wrote:transformers


/thread

x2
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Postby azulmagia » Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:21 pm

Not enough people know of or think of Transformers as anime for that to really count.
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Postby BasharOfTheAges » Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:29 pm

azulmagia wrote:Not enough people know of or think of Transformers as anime for that to really count.
In fact, most of it is non-anime, produced either in or for the North American market.
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Postby Farlo » Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:05 pm

yes, however the movie was more or less based on the original anime and not the shitty derivative new stuff. and you cant really call the animated movie not well known, i grew up with it, but maybe you guys are younger than me.
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Postby Ginger Gouki » Wed Oct 31, 2007 7:30 am

All it'll take is one. The movie bizz is all about 'gettin teh moneys' and nothing more. As soon as someone makes a bit of cash off a live-action anime, it'll all go tits-up and we get to be ankle deep in shitty remakes till the end of time.

Tho if I ever see "Uwe Boll To direct FLCL Live Action", im gonna start killing...
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Postby Parodic Productions » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:27 am

Speed Racer has been casted for, supposedly.

"Get ready for the ultimate fighting team! They knew nothing of their powers, but destiny would soon bring them together to stop the evil Dark Kingdom!

DIANE LANE

'I will steal this world's life energy in whatever way the director tells me to!'

If they wish to save their world, they have to fight back!

JAIME PRESSLY

'Ya'll ain't gonna mess with my world, bitch! I'll kick yer scrawny ass from here to Cancun!'

KATIE HOLMES

'Burn, baby, burn!'

THE TWO GIRLS FROM t.A.T.u.

'We're lesbians!'

ABIGAIL BRESLIN

* random squeal sounds *

MOS DEF

'Ya best not f*** wit the tux, mofo!'

AND PAMELA ANDERSON in a STUNT too LOW for even HER career

'Sailor Powers combine...or...something...Go, team, go!'

This summer, get ready for...

SAILOR MOON, THE MOVIE

directed by Francis Ford Coppola"

What? He hasn't done anything for ten years!
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Postby Parodic Productions » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:29 am

Now that I think about it, Coppola would probably cast his daughter Sofia instead.
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Postby Serv0 » Wed Oct 31, 2007 12:51 pm

azulmagia wrote:I think we have to face it: we're not going to see any live-action versions of any of our favourite animes anytime in the forseeable future.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Seriously, how many book adaptations have been made where you preferred the book instead?
What about Aeon Flux? A movie that's horrid. Apparently no justice in that movie was made besides it's box office.
The Origonal Head Hunter wrote:
Minion wrote:
Farlo wrote:transformers


/thread

x2

Count me in.

It's all about the money!
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!
It's all about the money, when it comes to adaptations for motion picture. What's going to sell?
Is Harry Potter going to sell? Hmmm...
Is Lord of the Rings going to sell? Hmmm...
Is Eragon going to sell? Hmmm..."Maybe for the first two weeks. But since the movie sucks it won't last a month. But that doesn't matter. All we need is to break the production limit within the first two weeks and we'll be fine." -Box Office Associates

It's no longer about the substance here. It's all about the greens.
Do you want the same to happen to your favorite anime?
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Postby Big Dumb Face » Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:39 pm

servo101010 wrote:
azulmagia wrote:I think we have to face it: we're not going to see any live-action versions of any of our favourite animes anytime in the forseeable future.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Seriously, how many book adaptations have been made where you preferred the book instead?
What about Aeon Flux? A movie that's horrid. Apparently no justice in that movie was made besides it's box office.
The Origonal Head Hunter wrote:
Minion wrote:
Farlo wrote:transformers


/thread

x2

Count me in.

It's all about the money!
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!
It's all about the money, when it comes to adaptations for motion picture. What's going to sell?
Is Harry Potter going to sell? Hmmm...
Is Lord of the Rings going to sell? Hmmm...
Is Eragon going to sell? Hmmm..."Maybe for the first two weeks. But since the movie sucks it won't last a month. But that doesn't matter. All we need is to break the production limit within the first two weeks and we'll be fine." -Box Office Associates

It's no longer about the substance here. It's all about the greens.
Do you want the same to happen to your favorite anime?




If someone actually takes the time and makes the effort to make a work that is THAT true to the original work AND do it on a budget, then the anser is; DUDE YES!
Where are the peter Jacksons of Anime?
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Postby Serv0 » Wed Oct 31, 2007 4:09 pm

Big Dumb Face wrote:
servo101010 wrote:
azulmagia wrote:I think we have to face it: we're not going to see any live-action versions of any of our favourite animes anytime in the forseeable future.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Seriously, how many book adaptations have been made where you preferred the book instead?
What about Aeon Flux? A movie that's horrid. Apparently no justice in that movie was made besides it's box office.
The Origonal Head Hunter wrote:
Minion wrote:
Farlo wrote:transformers


/thread

x2

Count me in.

It's all about the money!
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!
It's all about the money, when it comes to adaptations for motion picture. What's going to sell?
Is Harry Potter going to sell? Hmmm...
Is Lord of the Rings going to sell? Hmmm...
Is Eragon going to sell? Hmmm..."Maybe for the first two weeks. But since the movie sucks it won't last a month. But that doesn't matter. All we need is to break the production limit within the first two weeks and we'll be fine." -Box Office Associates

It's no longer about the substance here. It's all about the greens.
Do you want the same to happen to your favorite anime?




If someone actually takes the time and makes the effort to make a work that is THAT true to the original work AND do it on a budget, then the anser is; DUDE YES!
Where are the peter Jacksons of Anime?


Don't get me wrong, Lord of the Rings is amazing as it is. But remember the trilogy films were made for profit in the eyes of corporations, making it easy for the filmmakers to express their creativity. But consider an anime adaptation such as Transformers. It doesn't surprise me that Michael Bay is chosen for director considering the man had no respect for the franchise before he was assigned as director. Believe me, the story of Transformers in screenplay happens to be an excellent screenplay by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and John Rogers. All three hoping to stay close to both loyalty of the original Transformers and telling a well-balanced film.
But where the adaptation falls apart is in the drama of Hollywood business. Think of this stage as modernizing Transformers through Hollywood's standards.
The final product of Transformers as it is right now is different than it is in the original screenplay. The current version incorporates Michael Bay's far-out needs to incorporate more action than story-telling. Paramount thought the original screenplay was too 'kiddie'. And Paramount desired to modernize the movie by involving middle-eastern combat, political ideals, and redesigns of the bots themselves. All choices that writers can't control.
Even Lord of the Rings rang into this issue in one form or the other.
Personally, Hollywood is not the place for having such adaptations to settle.

Douglas Adams once remarked, "Getting a movie made in Hollywood is like trying to grill a steak by having a succession of people coming into the room and breathing on it."
Now look at the quality of the film Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. IT SUCKS! Adams must be rolling in his grave.

BDF, the right people for making an anime adaptation are out there. They are willing and ready to take on the challenge. But the problem is Hollywood isn't. Hollywood doesn't have the balls to take on such a challenge. They rather bring in the cash rather than the ideas.

The closest an anime adaptation would be ripe in terms of creativity, is in the independent business.
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