James Cameron's Live Action Battle Angel Alita 148
Dean Siren writes "Moviehole.net reports that James Cameron wants to direct a live action Battle Angel Alita movie. Cameron says, "The issue is will it be the next film, or will it be the one after the next film? That's really all there is to it at this point. We've done a tremendous amount of design for the film, we're fine-tuning the script, it's just a matter of time." As for the movie itself, "Motorball might find its way more into the second film - I definitely want to do more than one film. I want to create a world and a character that can go through at least one more film, possibly more. And that's not just for the classic financial reasons, it's just that I think there's a possibility for a real mythology here, so I feel that this is a good canvas to do something big that's got more scope." UK Anime and The Z Review are also reporting." I enjoyed the original Battle Angel Alita. It left me feeling like so much more could be done with it. It'll be interesting to see what comes of this one.
Lessons of History (Score:5, Insightful)
Not Interested (Score:4, Insightful)
If rich American directors and actors find Japanese anime movies they like, I'd rather they fund the creation of a new movie or a remake IN JAPAN than try to "bring it to the American audience", destroying everything that made the anime great in the process.
Oh wonderful... (Score:3, Insightful)
Sure, it'll be "true" to the original character even though you want to change the storyline, the characterization and the focus. Great, another Americanised bastardization of a work that doesn't need that kind of 'improvement'.
Gunm? (Score:4, Insightful)
Seriously, 'Alita' has already be pretty seriously corrupted by some of the same forces that mangled Macross into 'Robotech'. If Hollywood touches this, it's only going to stray further and further from the original plot and intent. Worse, it will be given a juvenile treatment and the dystopian story elements will be forgotten in favor of boobs and explosions.
I'm scared (Score:5, Insightful)
All that being said, his action movies DO still tend to be pretty good. I just think that Alita has more of a quiet confidence, rather than an in-your-face attitude, than Cameron is really used to dealing with in female action heros. I suppose on the bright side, he can probably reuse some of the costumes from Dark Angel to keep costs down :)
Re:Lessons of History (Score:4, Insightful)
Depends on your opinion on James Cameron. Battle Angel Alita has a lot of themes that are very similar to Camerons other work, a tough female lead in the vein of Dark Angel/Aliens/T2, centered around a love story like Titanic/Abyss. And it'll need great special effects. It has such similar themes to Camerons other work I can see him doing a faithful adaptation.
Akira, on the other hand, I have no idea how they're going to pull off as a live action, so much is tied to it's setting in Neo-Tokyo and the drug use and the confusing ending, I don't see Hollywood doing that faithfully.
(and hey I mentioned this in October [slashdot.org])
Compliment or insult? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:I'd rather see more OVA's... (Score:3, Insightful)
I still believe that when trying to turn an anime into a live action movie one should work with the utmost respect for the anime itself, and try to keep everything the way it was, without trying to over-americanize it. (by adding unnecessary sex, guns, and explosions... Although the sex part is well covered in a lot of animes.) Otherwise you get something that is... crap.
Re:Not Interested (Score:2, Insightful)
Thats because in reality having exceptionally powerful physique and being a childlike waif are mutually exclusive.