AnimeNation Anime News Blog

Dreamworks Pictures has hired Oscar-winner Bruce Joel Rubin (Ghost) to write the script for its remake of the 2003 Japanese fantasy drama film Yomigaeri (Resurrection). The heartwarming film focuses on a Japanese village where dead residents suddenly return to life and gently reacquaint themselves with their remaining living family members. The Dreamworks’ remake will tentatively be titled “Rainbow Bridge.”

Yomigaeri is one of three Asian films being remade by Dreamworks; the other two are Old Boy and Ghost in the Shell.

Source: Anime News Network

It’s not anime, but any American R-rated 2D sci-fi action animated film deserves some notice from anime fans. The official site for War of the Worlds: Goliath, a feature length animated sequel to H.G. Wells’ classic novel, now hosts a streaming trailer and a 12 minute long behind-the-scenes video. The movie will hit DVD early next year.

It’s neat to see serious mecha action in an American 2D animated movie – especially one not based on a comic from the “big two.” But for a flick with a budget of over $5 million, well, see for yourself.

Source: Twitch

The official homepage of the Tales of Symphonia: Teseara Chapter OVA series has added a streaming trailer. The series will premiere next spring.

Source: Moon Phase

The official homepage for the Koihime Musou anime franchise has announced that the Shin Koihime Musou television series will premiere in October.

Source: Moon Phase

About.com has published an exclusive interview with IKKI Magazine editor-in-chief Hideki Egami, conducted at the recent San Diego Comic Con.

Source: Anime News Network

Harutoshi Fukui, author of the Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn novel series, has told the Mainichi Newspaper that the Gundam Unicorn anime currently in development will be slightly different but very faithful to his original novels. The anime will incorporate ideas developed between himself and anime screenwriter Yasuyuki Muto (Afro Samurai: Resurrection, Chevalier). Furthermore, the anime is being composed in such a way that it will seem like nothing from the original novels has been left out. Many scenes and images from the novels which readers will expect to see in the anime adaptation will appear in the anime.

Fukui states that the first installment of the Gundam Unicorn anime is expected to be an hour long. A format for the Gundam UC anime hasn’t been revealed yet. Earlier this year Japanese news sources reported that the Gundam UC anime will be premiere simultaneously internationally.

The 9th and 10th, final Gundam UC novel will hit Japanese bookstores next week.

Source: Anime News Network

Film producer and manga authority Northrop Davis, who arranged 20th Century Fox’s acquisition of film rights to Yukito Kishiro’s GUNNM (“Battle Angel”) manga, has revealed that he’s currently trying to interest Hollywood studios in several other manga titles. Specifically, Davis revealed that Phil Rosenthal, producer behind the Everybody Loves Raymond television series, is interested in launching an American re-make of the Japanese Densha Otoko (Train Man) franchise. Furthermore, Davis has been close to negotiating a deal for American film rights to Kentarou Miura’s fantasy action manga Berserk. And Davis has revealed that he’s involved in efforts to interest American film studios in Keisuke Itagaki’s martial arts manga series Grappler Baki, and Keiji Nakazawa’s acclaimed manga depiction of the Hiroshima bombing Barefoot Gen.

While it’s interesting to know that these four titles are being shopped around Hollywood, there’s no certainty that any of them will ever get picked up or produced as American film projects. Barefoot Gen may be particularly difficult to transition to America because, while it’s certainly a moving and important story, it may be too unpleasant to appeal to mainstream American audiences.

Source: Anime News Network

The official homepage for director Michael “Bully” Herbig’s German live action film Vicky the Viking has unleashed a full trailer. The film is an adaptation of Zuiyo Eizo’s (later known as Nippon Animation) 1974 anime television series Chiisana Viking Vicke, itself based on Swedish author Runer Jonsson’s 1963 children’s book Vicke Viking.

Weak and timid viking boy Vicky overcomes his shortcomings by relying upon his cunning and ingenious ideas to help fellow viking warriors out of all manner of troubles. The movie is scheduled to premiere on September 9th.

Article provided by Daniel Zelter

The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) has officially refused to grant a certificate (rating) to writer/director Koji Shiraishi’s recently released live action “torture porn” horror movie Grotesque, thereby rendering the film illegal to distribute on home video in the UK. Municipalities throughout the UK do have the right to grant permissions for local theatrical screenings of films not classified by the BBFC.

BBFC director David Cooke explains, “Unlike other recent ‘torture’-themed horror works, such as the Saw and Hostel series, Grotesque features minimal narrative or character development and presents the audience with little more than an unrelenting and escalating scenario of humiliation, brutality and sadism. The chief pleasure on offer seems to be in the spectacle of sadism (including sexual sadism) for its own sake… Rejecting a work outright is a serious matter and the board considered whether the issue could be dealt with through cuts. However, given the unacceptable content featured throughout cutting the work is not a viable option in this case and the work is therefore refused a classification.”

Evidently the film described as “the cruellest Japanese splatter movie ever” has been deemed just too much for Britain.

Source: Twitch

Question:
A while back I remember you guys mentioning a new Space Adventure Cobra series/OVA as well as a Golgo 13 TV series. Have you heard any news on when these might see the light of day in the USA? Is anybody going to license them?

(more…)

FUNimation has announced the return of streaming One Piece episodes. All One Piece streaming in the U.S. was halted on May 29 when FUNimation inadvertently allowed episode 403 to leak into public circulation before the episode aired in Japan. Episodes 391 to 414 will premiere online, three per day, beginning this Friday, leading up to episode 415 going online on Saturday, August 29 at 10:00 p.m. EDT, an hour after Japanese broadcast.

The broadcast schedule for the Syfy Network’s “Ani-Monday” programming block reveals that two episodes of “Monster” will air weekly beginning October 12. Viz Media announced its acquisition of domestic distribution rights to the 2004 suspense thriller anime television series this past February.

Source: Anime News Network

The homepage of the Locarno International Film Festival now hosts streaming video samples from First Squad, Redline, and Summer Wars.

The film festival’s page for Madhouse & director Takeshi Koike’s (Trava: Fist Planet, “World Record” from The Animatrix) sci-fi racing anime movie Redline includes an amazing 63 second scene under the “EXTRA” tab. The long delayed film had its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival earlier this month.

The page for Studio 4°C & Molot Entertainment’s First Squad: The Moment of Truth includes the film’s opening sequence, with English subtitles, under the “EXTRA” tab.

The page for Summer Wars, the latest feature from Madhouse and director Mamoru Hosoda (Girl Who Leapt Through Time), offers the film’s 2:35 opening with English subtitles under the “EXTRA” tab.

Source: Catsuka

The official homepage for the upcoming To Aru Kagaku no Railgun TV anime, a spin-off from last year’s To Aru Majutsu no Index TV series, is now streaming the promotional trailer that premiered at Comiket 76. The Railgun anime will premiere in October.

Source: Moon Phase

San Diego, California’s KPBS public television station is now streaming a 3 minute “Behind the Scenes at Studio Ghibli” video that shows film director Hayao Miyazaki and Ghibli animators at work, and Disney chief creative officer John Lasseter paying a visit. The video clip is accompanied by an introductory article and the American behind the scenes video featurette.

The LA Times newspaper has published a rare interview with Studio Ghibli color designer Michiyo Yasuda, who has worked with Ghibli founders Hayao Miyazaki & Isao Takahata from 1968′s Horus: Prince of the Sun through 2008′s Ponyo.

Source: Anime News Network