Tuesday
Aug052008
Coming Soon to a Theater Near You.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 6:17PM
What with the runaway success of The Dark Knight and Ironman and the substantial box office performance of The Incredible Hulk and other comic-book-to-feature-film adaptations, 2008 should go down in cinematic history as the year comic superheros conquered the multiplex.
Of course, Hollywood can't leave well enough alone once its found a gravy-train and with The Dark Knight breaking box office records and films like Watchmen generating massive buzz, there will likely be no end in sight of Hollywood's sudden infatuation with superhero films.
Over the course of the last decade, the US and the world at large has been conquered by Japan's answer to Batman, Spiderman, et al. Manga and anime superheros have become as beloved and common place in the US market as Superman and the Justice League. In light of Hollywood's new-found cash cow, of course, it has seemingly turned its eye to the IP pickings from the Far East.
The live action Speed Racer has come and gone. Its widely known that a Hollywood-produced live action adaption of manga/anime watershed classic, Dragonball will be headed to theaters in 2009. What you may not know is that Hollywood is preparing an absolute onslaught of live action adaptations of some of Japan's best know and beloved comic stories.
Harold and Kumar have merged. Their power level is over 9,000!
Up first is the in-progress, CG adaptation of Astro Boy (Tetsuwa no Atomu) featuring Nicolas Cage as Astro Boy's mad-scientist creator/father. Also, there's the long-rumored live action adaption of Otomo Katsuhiro's Akira - currently under Leonardo DiCaprio's production company. Added to that are rumors that Toby MacGuire is attached to a live action version of Robotech (an adaptation of an adaptation - ugh!) and to top it off - it looks like Hollywood is going forth with a live action version of Cowboy Bebop, possibly starring Keanu Reeves as space bounty hunter Spike Spigel.
I... Am... A space... Bounty hunter!
As much as I like the series, I really hope that the live action Dragonball turns out to be a complete, box office dud (already Speed Racer's become a smoking crater at the cineplex this summer). Its financial failure may help to put the breaks on Hollywood's pending anime-to-live-action adaptation death march. Frankly, I don't see any reason some of this stuff should be "remade" except for the off-chance of a lucrative payday.
That said, imagine a live-action adaptation of FLCL. Now that would be something to see.
Of course, Hollywood can't leave well enough alone once its found a gravy-train and with The Dark Knight breaking box office records and films like Watchmen generating massive buzz, there will likely be no end in sight of Hollywood's sudden infatuation with superhero films.
Over the course of the last decade, the US and the world at large has been conquered by Japan's answer to Batman, Spiderman, et al. Manga and anime superheros have become as beloved and common place in the US market as Superman and the Justice League. In light of Hollywood's new-found cash cow, of course, it has seemingly turned its eye to the IP pickings from the Far East.
The live action Speed Racer has come and gone. Its widely known that a Hollywood-produced live action adaption of manga/anime watershed classic, Dragonball will be headed to theaters in 2009. What you may not know is that Hollywood is preparing an absolute onslaught of live action adaptations of some of Japan's best know and beloved comic stories.
Harold and Kumar have merged. Their power level is over 9,000!
Up first is the in-progress, CG adaptation of Astro Boy (Tetsuwa no Atomu) featuring Nicolas Cage as Astro Boy's mad-scientist creator/father. Also, there's the long-rumored live action adaption of Otomo Katsuhiro's Akira - currently under Leonardo DiCaprio's production company. Added to that are rumors that Toby MacGuire is attached to a live action version of Robotech (an adaptation of an adaptation - ugh!) and to top it off - it looks like Hollywood is going forth with a live action version of Cowboy Bebop, possibly starring Keanu Reeves as space bounty hunter Spike Spigel.
I... Am... A space... Bounty hunter!
As much as I like the series, I really hope that the live action Dragonball turns out to be a complete, box office dud (already Speed Racer's become a smoking crater at the cineplex this summer). Its financial failure may help to put the breaks on Hollywood's pending anime-to-live-action adaptation death march. Frankly, I don't see any reason some of this stuff should be "remade" except for the off-chance of a lucrative payday.
That said, imagine a live-action adaptation of FLCL. Now that would be something to see.
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