Generally, we try to avoid too much of the insider-y business stuff when discussing any potential Hollywood anime adaptations. However, both of these bits of news from Deadline have angles that are still of interest to your Joe or Jill Otaku who don't necessarily have a subscription to Variety.
First, I actually wasn’t aware this was happening until now, but an adaptation of Bee Train’s NOIR is coming to Starz (the cable channel home of shows like CAMELOT.) This isn’t the usual case of announced development - - it’s actually been given the green light and it’s moving ahead on production. It actually just switched showrunners (sort-of the overall directors of a show) from CRIMINAL JUSTICE’s Steven Lightfoot to NIP/TUCK’s Sean Jablonski. As far as I know, this is the first time there’s been such an adaptation on American TV, and I figure you lunatics might feel a little relieved that this tale of pretty amnesiac assassins is being handled by talent with this kind of critically-acclaimed pedigree.
Deadline also says a big screen adaptation of oldy-but-goody GIGANTOR in development - - and that development actually speaks to the merits of doing it yourself. IDLEWILD director Bryan Barber had grown tired of auditioning his services for studio projects like WOLVERINE, so he decided to go on and be proactive, acquiring the film rights to this anime series he’d so enjoyed as a boy from its their current owner, American voice actor, Fred Ladd.
In Barber’s words…
There’s a film here that doesn’t take itself too seriously, with heart and visual effects, about a super weapon that falls into the hands of a kid who develops the confidence to use the robot to save the world.
He’s currently working on a six minute video to demonstrate his vision for a more modestly-budgeted (by comparison, at least) $60 million family film and will soon be pitching it around to studios. There are no guarantees, but the success of TRANSFORMERS and REAL STEEL have certainly made robots hot again in Hollywood.
Tom Pinchuk’s the writer of HYBRID BASTARDS! & UNIMAGINABLE. Order them on Amazon here & here. Follow him on Twitter: @tompinchuk
i guess i need to watch noir I've seen the other two of the "Girls with Guns Trilogy" this is the only one i haven't seen (the other two being mad lax and el cazador de la bruja)
@keiichimorisato98: Isn't Phantom in there as well? Anyways, Noir is probably the best one. Certainly better than Madlax.
Giant robot shows have never done much for me but Noir could actually turn out pretty good.