The Hollywood live-action film adaptation of the hit 1970s anime series Space Battleship Yamato has been lodged firmly in the ninth circle of Development Hell for years, mostly due to several rights issues.
In 2012, filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie stated that after years of talks, the last few issues were being worked out regarding production rights. At the time he said: “Yes, the longest rights negotiation of planet Earth. I think we’re very, very close…”
And only two years later, the Sports Nippon newspaper and Anime News Network report that McQuarrie will shoot the project next once he wraps his work on Mission: Impossible 5. Dana Goldberg, McQuarrie, and Josh Klein will serve as producers.
Skydance Productions and Voyager Entertainment are producing the project and Sports Nippon quotes McQuarrie, saying: “My favourite characters are Captain Juzo Okita and Earth Defence Force’s Commander Hajime Saito. I am extremely honoured to be entrusted with a wonderful work such as this. I cannot wait to present it in Japan. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone.”
The original story is set in a time when Earth’s atmosphere has been heavily contaminated by an invading alien race. The surviving humans have retreated below the surface but only have one year before radiation will reach their underground refuge and wipe out what’s left of humanity. Another alien race then contacts them with an offer of help and plans for a star drive. The survivors retrofit this alien technology into the sunken wreck of the World War II Japanese battleship IJN Yamato, safe from radiation at the bottom of the Pacific. A small crew is sent across the universe to secure a means to defeat the invaders and restore the planet. The series was the first popular English-translated anime that had an overarching plot and storyline that required the episodes to be shown in order.
Sports Nippon adds the film version is targeting a 2017 or 2018. Unfortunately, it is scheduled for release under the nowhere near as good dubbed English title “Star Blazers”. Come on guys, just stick to the original…
Source: Dark Horizons
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