Otaku Crave

Movie star and producer Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, The Assassination of Richard Nixon, The Aviator) told MTV’s Splash Page that his Appian Way production company is waiting for the final script draft for the live-action film version of Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira manga. He added, “I’m a big fan of Japanese anime — that and another project called Ninja Scroll we’re trying to get developed and made into a movie, and I know there a lot of loyal fans out there of the project and die-hard fans, so we’re going to try to do the best job we possibly can and we’re not going to make the movie until the script is in the right shape.” He also emphasized that he is producing in these two projects, and that he does “not really” have any interest in acting in them.

The Variety entertainment news source reported in February that Warner Brothers and Appian Way had re-licensed the rights to remake Akira from the manga publisher Kodansha. The two companies originally planned to make two films, each of which would cover three volumes of the renowned science-fiction manga about a governmental genetic project and a teenager’s attempt to save a fellow biker gang member. Otomo himself directed a popular 1988 anime film based on his own manga. Variety also reported last month that Warner Brothers and Appian Way had licensed the rights to adapt Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s Ninja Scroll action anime film from the Madhouse anime studio.

Popularity: 28% [?]

On October 4, fans of the Onegai Teacher and Onegai Twins anime series presented 120,000 yen (about US$1,200) to the Lake Kizaki Springs Tourism Association to maintain the streetlights near the lake that inspired the background locales in these two anime. Every year, the city of ?machi in western Japan lights up the lake shore from July to September with these streetlights. However, the tourism association had planned to stop the tradition this year due to mounting costs. Fans heard about the planned cancellation and raised money in September to continue the tradition.

Fans began visiting the lake after the two anime ran in Japan, and have already joined the local cleanup campaigns around the lake. Since both anime prominently featured the local train stops, the ?ito train line has been issuing souvenir tickets with anime background art from this past September until next August. Bandai Entertainment released both anime series in North America.

Popularity: 6% [?]

The film distributor Summit Entertainment and the Hong Kong animation studio IMAGI have announced that their computer-animated film adaptation of Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy manga will open on over 3,000 North American screen on October 23, 2009. The story centers on a robot abandoned by its inventor and raised by a kind professor to protect the world. David Bowers (Flushed Away) is directing off a screenplay written by Timothy Harris (Trading Places, Kindergarten Cop). The cast features Freddie Highmore in the title role, Nicolas Cage, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy, Eugene Levy, and Kristen Bell.

The two production companies will later announce a marketing “commitment from a major fast food restaurant partner as well as alliances in the areas of toys, games, books and others.” Dark Horse reissued its English version of the original manga this month, and Right Stuf have released the classic 1963-1966 anime adaptation in two box sets. Manga Entertainment and Sony shipped DVDs for the 1980 and the 2003 anime remakes, respectively. Next February, Viz Media will publish Naoki Urasawa’s Pluto manga that is set in Tezuka’s Astro Boy world.

Popularity: 6% [?]

The North American distributor FUNimation Entertainment has announced the acquisition of the Kaze no Stigma television series from the Gonzo anime studio. The anime adapts Takahiro Yamato and Hanamaru Nanto’s supernatural action light novel series, which has 12 volumes so far. The story centers on Kazuma Kannagi, a man who was banished his family of fire magic users by his own father after he was defeated by his cousin Ayano. Four years later, Kazuma is now 22 and has become a wind magic user after a contract with the spirit of wind. Kazuma returns to his former home and faces Ayano again.

The anime version features director Jun’ichi Sakata (Card Captor Sakura, DNA²) and series script supervisor Mayori Sekijima (Angel Sanctuary, MoonPhase). Funimation will launch the 24-episode series on DVD in the summer of 2009.

Popularity: 6% [?]

The ICv2 retail news source reports that Funimation commanded 32.7% of North American anime sales in the first half of 2008, according to data from the Nielsen VideoScan service. VideoScan’s statistics do not include sales from the Wal-Mart retail chain, for which Funimation may have an even higher share of the market. This increase in Funimation’s share does not include the recently announced acquisitions of former ADV titles and relicensed Geneon titles, both of which began shipping in the second half of 2008. ICv2 has also announced the release of the ICv2 Guide #59: Anime/Manga book, which includes more information on the North American anime and manga markets. The guide includes ICv2’s lists of the top 50 anime and manga during the first half of the year.

Popularity: 4% [?]

The Sports Hochi newspaper reports that the Japanese film distributor TOHO has received more than one offer from Hollywood film production companies to remake the manga-based Detroit Metal City film after it opened in Japan last month. Director Toshio Li adapted Kiminori Wakasugi’s rock parody manga about a shy pop singer’s rise to glory as the frontman of a death-metal band. The negotiations are reportedly still ongoing, but a decision is expected by the end of the year. There are also remake offers from Hong Kong.

In addition to the remake talks, the Detroit Metal City film already has distribution agreements for Hong Kong and South Korea. Distribution offers are said to have come from 25 other countries and regions, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Taiwwan, Australia, and Brazil.

The six current volumes of the manga have 2 million copies in print, and over 1 million people have now seen the film in the first three weeks after its Japanese opening.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group has licensed the rights to distribute The Sky Crawlers, the latest film from Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor), in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand. The film adapts Hiroshi Mori’s military romance novels that are set on an alternate-history world. After the film’s Japanese opening last month, the Toronto International Film Festival held the North American premiere last Friday. While The Sky Crawlers was shut out of the juried awards at the Venice Film Festival in Italy this past weekend, it did win the Future Film Festival Digital Award during the event.

Popularity: 2% [?]

The October issue (on sale on September 9) of Fujimi Shobo’s Monthly Dragon Age magazine will announce that a new television anime series for The Slayers franchise has been officially green-lit. Hajime Kanzaka, the author of the original Slayers light novels, had already indicated that the ongoing Slayers Revolution television anime series was conceived as the first part of a storyline that will last half a year (with a break in between). However, the Dragon Age announcement will be the first public, official confirmation that the second part of the storyline is in production. More details will be provided in the November issue of Fujimi’s Monthly Dragon Magazine, which goes on sale on September 20.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Felix Ip, the creative director at Hong Kong’s IMAGI animation studio, has revealed that the studio’s official website is streaming the last ten seconds from the computer-animated Gatchaman film’s trailer. (In the linked page, select the “Our Films” link, select “Gatchaman,” and then select “View Teaser Clip.”) IMAGI is remaking Tatsunoko’s Science Ninja Team Gatchaman anime franchise for a planned 2010 release in theaters worldwide. (The film was originally scheduled for distribution in 2009 by Warner Brothers and The Weinstein Company, but it was pushed back.)

Popularity: 2% [?]

The Latino Review movie website reports that Max Mokowski is set to direct the upcoming live-action adaptation of Voltron series, which aired in North America from 1984 to 1985. (The Lion segment of Voltron, in turn, is an adaptation of Hiroshi Sasagawa and Toei’s Golion anime series.) Max Makowski was responsible for production of the Today Show for the Asian market. He also worked as a cameraman and writer for CNBC and NBC Asia and directed episodes of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. He is currently working on an adaptation of the Japanese movie SHINOBI and is set to direct a movie adaptation the 1970s series Kung Fu, which featured David Carradine.

Plans for a live-action adaptation for Voltron were dropped by production company New Regency this month while another company, Relativity Media, was negotiating to continue the project.

Popularity: 3% [?]