More about Imagi's Gatchaman Teaser Video

It appears Imagi Studios is fishing for sponsors for their Gatchaman movie again. They've added a second teaser film to their web site here. Notice the difference in uniforms/armor between the two teasers; each teaser was done at a separate stage. Both of them bear a more than passing resemblance to the NTT Gatchaman campaign commercials done in 2000: here and here

In another interesting tidbit, 411mania offered the following as part of their interview with Dave Wilkins (of Splatterhouse game fame):

Jeffrey Harris: You did concept art for the new feature Gatchaman movie. Recently a new trailer came online for the movie. Have you seen this new trailer yet?

Dave Wilkins: I've seen the trailer.

Jeffrey Harris: So . . . is this movie actually going to come out? What is going on?

Dave Wilkins: It's been up and down. I'm not really sure. I really hope it does because a lot of super talented guys worked on it . . . great, great guys put a lot of great work in there and just being a Gatchaman fan I hope it does.

Jeffrey Harris: When you were conceptualizing those characters, was your vision of Berg Katse the Berg Katse?


Dave Wilkins: Yeah and that's exactly what we called him. It wasn't Galactor. It was the original.


Jeffrey Harris: So was it going to be the transsexual, gender-bending Katse? In the original animation he was both a man and a woman.

Dave Wilkins: Right. He was pretty hardcore. In my version, he's more monstrous and alien than anything. But I don't know how he ended up.

Read the entire interview here.

The Imagi Gatchaman Movie... Not Dead Yet?

Just when we'd written off Imagi, the studio that had been working on the Gatchaman CGI feature film, here comes this post on Twitchfilm.net. Also interesting was the fact that a blog referring to an "old" Gatchaman preview on Felix Ip's blog (an excellent source of Gatchaman info) is now deleted....

Hmm, I'm still a little skeptical, but if Imagi is indeed rising, Phoenix-like from the ashes of bankruptcy to forge ahead with the Gatchaman film, bravo!

Check out the Twitchfilm post: There are five demo/preview reels with Gatchaman action. Is this what might have been, or what could be?

Reviving Interest in Gatchaman

Spotted at the June 19, 2010 Hey, Answerman! column on the Anime News Network site:

Fans of old stuff! I'm sure there's a particular old series/movie/whatever that you really love, that the new crop of fans is completely uninterested in. Why is this, do you think? What steps would you take to reverse that?

To which writer JR Turbyfill replied:

I grew up at a time when Anime was not really even called anime and came on either in the afternoons during the week, or early Saturday morning. I remember watching Battle of the Planets (Gatchaman) and Starblazers (Space Battleship Yamato)... Today, with the advent of YouTube, Crunchyroll, Hulu, etc., we now have the ability to watch the iconic stories that really paved the way for anime to be the popular niche entertainment that has inspired a now growing trend of properties in Hollywood, for better or worse. Sadly, these classic stories that I loved were bittersweet to watch again. Alas, even though I watch them as I am being scorned by the new generation of fans, some who are almost young enough to be my children, I begin to understand why "my anime" is different than "their anime."

I would say the chief reason the younger / newer fans do not find enjoyment in the shows that made it possible for their shows to be presented as anything more than an import / rarity is the evolution of anime as a medium in general. All the shows I enjoyed as a child were pretty much a Hero, Space epic, or Giant Robot / Mecha show. This is only a fraction of the broad spectrum of anime that permeates through society today. [...]

So, how do we get the new school to "give props" to the old school? That's tricky, especially in this volatile time in the industry. There have been several attempts, such as the new Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles or the 3-part modernized OVA of Gatchaman, but these received a lukewarm response outside of their fanbase. Though Gatchaman is / was to be a CG feature, Astro Boy showed that without a major marketing push and great story to back it, the property will die, screaming. There is a possibility of driving interest by doing a live action re-boot, ala JJ Abrams' Star Trek or Nolan's Batman Begins. The trick with this being successful would be a HUGE budget, BIG names, and LOTS of marketing. The properties that could be deemed worthy would be small in number. If they were re-imagined in animation, I would think the best avenue for success would be to emphasize another genre that is more marketable these days (i.e. Gatchaman as a moe vehicle, with a possible bishonen relationship between two of the members). [...]

The bottom line is, if an old property is to be revived, re-packaged, and re-introduced to the masses in an effort to garner new fans, it's going to need more than the love of the old fans to get it. Some of the older fans don't always find the new stuff exciting, either. Some even find the newer, grittier, more sexual and violent themes to be to much for an animated show. I don't mind it if it makes sense, but I have no intention of letting my child see Black Lagoon when I have Gatchaman to fall back on. At the end of the day, maybe it's better to leave the old property alone, as not to alienate the old-schoolers. Even though I have learned to enjoy new stuff like FMA, Soul Eater, and GITS, I still like my old stuff. It was good enough for my generation, it should be good enough for theirs. Now get off my lawn!

You can read the entire letter here.

The poster is repeating some of my old soapbox points: Lots of marketing, huge budget, strong story (all the latest released Gatchaman efforts, especially the OAV, suffered from weak stories). As for a bishonen love interest between Ken and Joe, while that's not my cup of tea, Gatchaman fans all over the globe have been doing this in fanfic and doujinshi ever since the show first aired. That being said, I would not be that enthusiastic about a moe Gatchaman, and I'd be just tolerant of a grittier and more violent Gatchaman. Maybe this is a show that's better left well enough alone.

You don't have to get off my lawn, but don't trample the flowers, 'kay?

What are your thoughts?

More of What Might Have Been

Joe and Jun getting to know each other from a 2008 screen test for Gatchaman. Starts at 0:29.



Thanks, Springie!

What Might Have Been

Now that Imagi is dissolved, certain things start surfacing, such as this trailer to the Gatchaman film that will no longer happen:

Imagi Shuts Down

Imagi has officially shut down. There is still a possibility they could farm out labor to other companies, but I wouldn't be holding my breath waiting for the Gatchaman movie.

Source: ABC News

Bad, bad news from Imagi

It started with news that Imagi had shut down their LA offices. Now, according to Felix Ip's blog, it looks like Imagi is shutting down and laying off their people in Hong Kong as well. They may find funding and continue with the Gatchaman movie, but right now, it's looking like a long shot.

It was fun to follow while it lasted. My condolences go out to the hard-working staff at Imagi.

UPDATE: According to this post on the Anime News Network:

"According to the Ming Pao Daily News paper, the layoffs are short-term and that the company is still operating on minimal staff as it continues to seek new investments. However, the newspaper also reports that company faces a critical decision next week on whether to be liquidated, depending on the outcome of investment talks. The studio underwent a round of layoffs before the Chinese New Year's holidays last year, only to rehire its animators after obtaining new financing to complete Astro Boy."

Paul Dini and Joe Asakura

Paul Dini Explains What Happened at Imagi

Some time ago, Paul Dini was chosen to write the screenplay for the Imagi Gatchaman movie. Then, without warning, his name vanished from all mention and mention of Gatchaman vanished from his Web site. In this interview from 411mania.com, Dini explains what happened... well, as much as can be explained, anyway:

"I was working on it in the fall of 2007, I guess that's when the writer's strike was, and I worked on it from August to December of that year with Kevin Munroe, the director, and a very good art team. And I was contracted kind of a period of around that time, and then we made our presentation to the rights holder and then they said they were undecided on how to go at that point and my deal was essentially up, so they said OK we may call you back, we may go a different way. So I have no idea what if anything of mine is in the movie, the finished picture. I know that Kevin was let go a few weeks after that, and I think the project went into some sort of turnaround development at some point. Toward the end it was getting more and more confused. The more that Kevin and the artists and I were more united in our take on the picture, new producers came in that were less sure of anything and very antsy about everything. So I don't know, the whole thing sort of spun out of control. I left once my deal was up and basically, that was that. We'll see what happens. I think they proceeded with different writers and different producers. Definitely, they got a different director, and we'll see what ultimately comes out of it. I've seen the same trailer that everybody else has seen, and I did recognize some of the same basic setups and scenarios from some of the storyboards that we worked on together, but that's about it."

Click here to read the entire interview.


Condor Joe Joins the Fray in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom?

A member of the Shoryuken Forum unearthed a list of filenames for images in Capcom's Japanese Web site. In addition to the main characters, there is images/oncharactor_btn_joe.jpg

Hmm...

The image is not available yet, but I'd keep an eye on the site for when Joe makes his debut.

Notes from GatchaCon

Sadly, there was no GatchaCon t-shirt for this year was because the person responsible for the shirt design and printing suffered some recent injuries. Hopefully he will recover soon!

There were some interesting promotions at the Imagi booth: fans could dress up as Ken and get their pictures taken in front of a Gatchaman-style background. There were also some Gatchaman freebies. There will probably be more at the 2010 Comic Con. Save your money for next year, because from what I've heard, the con (admission and lodging) is getting more and more expensive.

Check out the nice Gatchaman G-2 poster as well as the posters of the rest of the team here on Felix Ip's blog. (Thanks, Reboekah!)

More Imagi Promotion Materials

The Screenweek Blog has some new screen shots of some promotional materials for the Imagi Gatchaman movie, apparently being promoted at Anime Expo 2009 in Los Angeles. In addition to the Joe poster we saw earlier, there's a group poster and a shot of a digital watch that seems to be a freebie. [link]

Also, someone filmed the promo at the booth and put it up on YouTube. EDIT: Better versions have surfaced. Here they are:







Thanks, Springie!

Gatcha-Movie Update

Imagi Update: It has been confirmed that Jun Falkenstein is no longer on the Gatchaman Movie project. According to her blog, she is back with Disney.

Live Action Gatchaman Move News: It has been a long while since we've gotten any news on Japan's planned live action Gatchaman film. Apparently, the concept is still alive: On June 19th, it was announced that Takara-Tomy (who now owns Tatsunoko Productions) has purchased 2.83% of the available stock in Nikkatsu, the studio that created the live action Yatterman movie and who has the rights for the live action Gatchaman movie. In turn, Nikkatsu will produce live action films based on Takara-Tomy products such as the Rika-chan fashion doll line, and adaptations of further Tatsunoko animated properties. The plan is to release one Takara-Tomy-based film a year.

There was no specific news about the live action Gatchaman film in the press releases. But, since the Yatterman live action movie was a major box office success, hopefully, this will stimulate work on the Gatchaman film.

Thanks Tatsunokofan!

Audience Test Results for Gatchaman (2011)

Recently, Imagi held a small audience test at a Warner Brothers studio in Burbank CA to gauge the response to Gatchaman by their teenage target audience. The audience saw a brief trailer, some still scenes, image boards and production art. Then they were given a questionnaire. (One question asked about romance in the storyline and whether there should be a Ken-Jun-Joe love triangle.) A Japanese lady who went to the test wrote about it in her blog (link).

The highlights:

• The release schedule is being pushed back to 2011. (Not a big surprise considering Astro Boy is yet to be released.)
• It's confirmed that Nambu is now of African descent and sports the "Afro Samurai" look. His goal is to gather teenagers to fight the alien menace that is Katse and Gallactor.
• As you might have guessed, the selected teenagers don't get along at first. Joe, a bad-boy street fighter with a vendetta, refuses to join, and the others attempt to beat some sense into him at a construction site. Only after, through some fault of his, Nambu gets captured by Gallactor does Joe join the team. (Wolverine in a bird suit, anyone?)
• Imagi Joe more closely resembles OAV Joe than original Joe.
• Jun's action scenes are cool, but she's not as sexy. Her mini skirt birdstyle seemed to get high marks, though.
• Jinpei and Ryu seem more noticeable in the Imagi version.
• Katse loses both his mutant nature (appearing entirely male) and his sense of humor.
• The audience seemed unhappy with the quality of the CGI, claiming the movements were not very smooth.
• There seems to be a little bit of confusion about the title: "Gatchaman" vs. "Gatchamen."

Say this with me, fellow fans: We were afraid this would happen.

Thanks, Tatsunokofan!

Imagi News, Capcom News

Douglas Glen, CEO of Imagi, resigns. According to the press releases, Imagi's project such as Astro Boy and Gatchaman are not affected. Check this link at Anime News Network for details: http://tinyurl.com/ot7z3f

Thanks, Trudi!

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom game confirmed for US. Capcom has made their announcements for the upcoming 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in June: the Tatsunoko vs. Capcom title will be released for the Nintendo Wii in America and Europe. Details here at Gamespot: http://www.gamespot.com/news/6209856.html

The Latest Gatchaman Movie Poster Features... Joe!

Spotted in the Tatsunoko booth at the Tokyo International Anime Fair and posted on the Gatchakan Blog: A poster for Imagi's upcoming Gatchaman movie, and it's Joe! Check out the Gatchakan site and scroll down.

The release date still appears to be 2010.

So what's new with the Imagi film? A follow-up

According to i09.com, the American branch of Imagi is indeed shutting down, but only temporarily until its next round of expected funding arrives. The Hong Kong branch is currently closed for Chinese New Year. Production on Astro Boy is set to continue, and Gatchaman is set for release November 2010... providing it gets funded.

All the gory details are here: http://io9.com/5139671/cool-your-boot-jets-astro-boy-still-zooming

So what's new with the Imagi film?

Following the Imagi Gatchaman film has been like riding a roller coaster. First we get news that Imagi has been rated a "going financial concern," which is worrying, but not devastating... yet. Felix Ip's blog mentioned that all is moving along according to plan. But then, in light of the current recession and many companies shutting down worldwide, comes the rumor that Imagi is temporarily shutting down. If this is indeed happening, could this lead to a permanent shutdown? Stay tuned...

Here's the link from First Showing: http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/01/25/imagi-animation-is-out-of-money-and-temporarily-shutting-down/

Gatchaman Teaser at Cinema Blend

If you have had difficulty accessing Imagi's site, you can now view the Gatchaman trailer here:

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/First-Look-At-Gatchaman-10084.html

Quick Gatchaman teaser at Imagi's site

Imagi has put up a very brief teaser video featuring a little action with Joe's car and our first view of the Godphoenix. The Imagi site also has a collection of still shots from the video, some of which you may have seen on Felix Ip's blog here and here. Check 'em out.

Imagi's site: link

News from Gatchacon

Gatchacon, the unofficial con-within-the-San Diego Comic Con, is under way. This year's t-shirts feature a schematic of Battle of the Planets robot narrator 7-Zark-7 and the slogan, "He Thinks So You Don't Have To." Finally we get to see where his FOSDIC is.

Imagi has a booth at the con this year, and their major push is the movie, "Astro Boy" (to the tune of Linkin Park's "Somewhere I Belong") along with an ad for an older project, "Cat Town," and the demo reel from Gatchaman. In the Gatchaman reel, we see glimpses of Jun and a little bit of Ken in uniform plus a flash of the G-1, but the focus is on Joe in his civilan car stealing a suitcase of cash(?) from some thugs and evading some seriously scary gunfire. He looks good, and the demo is impressive... But this is an old demo before Imagi changed their ideas and their staff.

I have heard some of the ideas being bounced around for the latest version of the movie, and to be honest, although these ideas have supposedly been scrapped as well, I'm not encouraged. Something about how Gatchaman was an ancient legend worshipped since the day of the samurai... Bleh. That's been done to death in other films. As it stands now, according to current press releases about Imagi, the movie has been pushed back to 2009, and that interferes with Tatsunoko's Japan release of the live action Gatchaman movie. Things aren't looking good for this film, and I dearly hope I am wrong about this.

Bits and Pieces: Movie info, Gatchaman article, and Gatchaman cameo in Yatterman

Kevin Munroe on leaving Gatchaman:

In the following interview on IESB.net, Kevin Munroe discusses his new project with Dylan Dog and his reasons for parting ways with Imagi and the Gatchaman movie project. Here's an excerpt:

"With Gatchaman, I guess you can say it came down to creative differences. I’m a little heartbroken to walk away, as I’m still a huge fan of the property and its potential. But I’m glad that at least we got to share a little of my version of the movie in those images we released last year. "


Comic Book Resources article on Gatchaman

And here's an article on Tatsuo Yoshida and one of his greatest creations, co-written by pro-fan Jason Hofius.


Gatchaman cameo on new Yatterman series

The characters from other Tatsunoko series often make cameos in episodes of "Yatterman," and here's the latest (not to be confused with the sighting of Ken and Jun at the takoyaki stand a few posts ago). Observant fan "Zeiderbeck" posted to the Yahoo! Battle of the Planets Mailing List about a Gatchaman sighting on the new "Yatterman" television series. The special one-hour broadcast on May 5, 2008, "One Night Only! Doronbo vs.
Monta Mino! Join Us in a Battle of Brain-Teasers! A Special Episode
Guest-Starring Gatchaman and the Mach Five!" features the voice talents of Katsuji Mori (voice of Ken and Go Mifune from Mach Go Go Go) and silent appearances of the rest of the team and Dr. Nambu. The episode also contains an old Japanese Gatchaman in-joke: a snippet from a typical schoolyard parody of the theme song:

"Chikyuu wa hitotsu! / Warereba oketsu!"
("There is only one Earth! / Split it, and it looks just like a butt!")

Looks like this latest guest appearance could be fun!