Ask John: Will Scott Prilgrim Save Anime in Hollywood?
Question:
Could the Scott Pilgrim movie “save” the anime/manga/video game genre from future godawful Hollywood adaptations? It’s got a director who actually has experience in popular entertainment as well as genuine familiarity with the sub-cultures in question. While it’s true that the movie industry still has problems with adapting its own Western brands [LXG, Catwoman, and Marmaduke, anyone?], it seems to have a better record with them than with the Eastern source material, even when it gets Asian directors to helm the projects. [*cough* DB: Evolution and Airbender *cough*]
Now, the Scott Pilgrim movie could actually be a train-wreck, too, and might be rigged with positive reviews by fanboys and fangirls who were going to see it anyway. But at least it has the potential to be profitable over the long-term through positive word of mouth. And personally, when I saw the trailer, I thought that either way Wright would still be perfect for the live-action Bleach. So could it at least raise the bar for other “niche” properties, like Death Note and/or Akira, based on its long-term prospects? Or will it just be written off as another adaptation which has more internet appeal than it does general appeal, and thus force us to endure other by-the-numbers Hollywood versions of anime/manga/game series?
Answer:
I think that we, American anime fans, should recognize and accept that Hollywood and Japan’s anime production industry are separate entities. Success in or by one does not equate to similar success in the other. For reasons I can’t exactly fathom, artist Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim comic series is sometimes associated with Japanese manga. The new feature film adaptation from director Edgar Wright has garnered tremendous advance praise and promises to be a tremendously profitable release, if not a blockbuster. However, I see little correlation between the Scott Pilgrim Versus The World motion picture and Hollywood adaptations of Japanese franchises.
Comic movies have actually been doing quite well lately. The Dark Knight, Iron Man 2, and Kick-Ass have been big hits. Thor, Green Lantern, Captain America, and Cowboys versus Aliens movies are all currently in production. But this positive trend doesn’t appar to have had any spill-over impact on manga and anime adaptations in Hollywood. The Twilight movie franchise has been a massive success. Viz Media’s General Manager Alvin Lu recently stated that Viz is, “By certain metrics the top graphic novel publisher in the country” and Vampire Knight is Viz’s top shoujo franchise. Yet despite Vampire Knight being America’s top girls’ comic “by certain metrics,” there’s seemingly no Hollywood interest in developing a franchise to coat-tail on the popularity of the Twilight Saga. By all evidence, successful American film franchises based on American properties spawn further American films based on American properties. But the success of Inception hasn’t motivated Sony Pictures to launch a renewed advertising and distribution campaign for the similar and acclaimed anime film Paprika. Nor has the massive American anticipation for films including Scott Pilgrim, Thor, and Tron Legacy inspired either a wave of Hollywood interest in manga/anime properties or Hollywood consideration to place appropriate directors at the helm of American anime adaptation films. Director Edgar Wright may indeed be ideal to helm Warner Bros.’ tentative American Bleach movie, but the success or failure of Scott Pilgrim Versus The World doesn’t seem especially likely to influence that possibility either way. Nor does any success for the Scott Pilgrim movie suggest, to me, that Hollywood will suddenly start seeing Japanese properties as similar potential sleeper blockbusters.
Judging by its production crew, promotional material, and released footage, Scott Pilgrim Versus The World certainly does look like an amusing comic book movie. However, if this romantic action comedy turns into a major American hit, I see no reason to assume that Hollywood will consider Bleach, Negima, Tsubasa Chronicle, Soul Eater, Fruits Basket, Fullmetal Alchemist, Rosario to Vampire, or any other manga/anime franchise a natural successor to Scott Pilgrim, nor do I have any reason to believe that the success of Christopher Nolan directing The Dark Knight, Jon Favreau directing Iron Man, Matthew Vaughn directing Kick-Ass, Zac Snyder directing 300 and Watchmen, or Edgar Wright directing Scott Pilgrim will suddenly convince Hollywood to select directors based on qualification and affinity for the material in place of the standard studio hiring system that’s been in place for 75 years. No, I don’t believe that Scott Pilgrim Versus The World is going to “save” manga and anime from crappy Hollywood adaptations.
Related Posts
About The Author
john
Add a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Having seen the movie and -not- read the comics or approached it as a fan, I can say that the movie was entertaining moreso because it was loaded with references to video games and general “growing up in the 8/16 bit era” tropes. The fact that it was adapted from a graphic novel was certainly there, but the novels themselves were very much a parody of their source material.
If you were to try to adapt a non-parody manga into a movie using the techniques in SPvTW, you’d be sorely distracted and disappointed. A lot of SPvTW’s charm lies in the fact that it takes direct jabs at video game and comic book interfaces, which manga pushing a serious plot simply won’t do. The Scott Pilgrim style worked great for Scott Pilgrim. It would work great for Deadpool, another self-aware comic property. As far as manga/anime goes, it would only really work for similar properties, which tend to not really sell in America.
Good anime/manga movies will sadly have to stick to traditional action movie roles. Bubblegum Crisis, Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, and other things that can work as action movies with heavy special effects regardless of their source material are probably the only things we can look forward to.
“For reasons I can’t exactly fathom, artist Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim comic series is sometimes associated with Japanese manga.”
Well, he’s a manga fan, and it’s allegedly done manga style. Of course, that’s how I’ve always felt about that Ninja High School guy.
“Comic movies have actually been doing quite well lately. The Dark Knight, Iron Man 2, and Kick-Ass have been big hits.”
Kick-Ass was a disappointment.
“Yet despite Vampire Knight being America’s top girls’ comic “by certain metrics,” there’s seemingly no Hollywood interest in developing a franchise to coat-tail on the popularity of the Twilight Saga.”
Probably ‘cus the author doesn’t want it to be compared to Twilight. Hell, I was comparing Vampire Knight to it when I read the summary.
“But the success of Inception hasn’t motivated Sony Pictures to launch a renewed advertising and distribution campaign for the similar and acclaimed anime film Paprika.”
Why do that when you can just remake Paprika with that alleged live-action film? Of course, now people will think Inception came first. -_-
“However, if this romantic action comedy turns into a major American hit, I see no reason to assume that Hollywood will consider Bleach, Negima, Tsubasa Chronicle, Soul Eater, Fruits Basket, Fullmetal Alchemist, Rosario to Vampire, or any other manga/anime franchise a natural successor to Scott Pilgrim,”
I’m actually surprised an LA Rosario+Vampire *hasn’t* happened already, to be honest.
Kurai: I see.
What made the person asking the question believe that The Last Airbender, being adapted from a faux-Eastern, American cartoon, would do well simply because someone with an Indian ethnic heritage directed it?
Since this movie’s only Japanese references are video game references, I don’t expect that would have any impact on the receptiveness of the American market to anime-based films because Americans don’t even associate franchises like Mario or Sonic with Japan.
kampfer: Ideally, said director would “get” it better, given his affinity with the culture. Of course, Forbidden Kingdom was done by a white guy, and that’s better than any live-action anime I’ve seen from Hollywood thus far, so…And actually, Scott Pilgrim does have one anime reference, but it’s a “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” thing.
I definately agree that this movie can’t be looked at as the key to live action success. There were many aniem references that i caught, having just watched it, but only anime-go-lucky people would really see them. Also, some of the anime references are really to your judgement as to whether they are enough for u or now. I personally noticed a dragonball z and bleach reference (bleach one for sure), but my friend, who watches as much anime as me, only caught one. So yes, going back to the topic, no, this movie is not our “jesus”
inu: I noticed a Naruto reference with that hand thing.
I agree. Now having seen Scott Pilgrim (which was very entertaining), I don’t really see how it would save anime adaptations. I CAN see why it would make Hollywood start choosing directors who are familiar with the source materials. In my honest opinion, that’s the big reason Airbender failed, I don’t believe Shyamalan bothered with the source material at all.
Funny related anecdote: When I was in the Scott Pilgrim theater, a trailer for Shyamalan’s next movie, Devil, came on. The audience was deathly quiet throughout most of the trailer…until Shyamalan’s name flashed on-screen. Then, gut-busting laughter. Everyone in the theater. It was priceless.
I’ve never really understood the appeal of anime getting the Hollywood treatment. I can’t imagine the results (even if they were top-notch) ever living up to the source material. Movies are movies and anime is anime, and each will lose something very key in the transistion to the other. Artistic style, character naunces, atmosphere and more are not interchangable with each other.
Dragon Ball Evolution was a bad movie, full of pandering situations, an insulting casting list (seriously, why were the supporting characters all Asian, but not Goku?), and other horrors that are best forgotten. However, there were some elements taken directly from the series (like Bulma’s transforming vechile) that seemed really lame in live action, but acceptable in anime. For something in the world of Dragon Ball that we’re transported to when we watch the anime or read the manga, this seems logical, but DBE seemed like a film about that world, and somehow stuff like this doesn’t comform to logic. Hard to explain, but that’s the best I can do.
This is not to say everyone sees film adaptions like this, and there are a number of examples of good movies based on other media. No one will argue that the Dark Knight was a cultural phenomon, and there are plenty of other characters and stories like this that translate well to American film. But it helps that it’s American, and the production staff takes it seriously. The likes of DBE and Speed Racer (remember that one?) were haphazardly foistered on an unsuspecting mainstream audience in hopes of providing family-fun entertainment with the bonus of having an established concept. Didn’t turn out so well in the end.
While it’s great to have more adventures with your favorite anime characters, I would prefer more anime or manga, not an America live-action film, far removed from the source and directed by people who most likely don’t get it. I think part of the desire to have anime film adaptions is to have anime vindicated by Hollywood, to have it placed on the most recognized center of entertainment in the world. Just look how well that worked for the video game industry, which still wants a piece of that Hollywood pie even though it has dwarfed Hollywood in revenue.
Do you want anime to be vindicated? Go to an anime convention and see the hundreds, thousands of people who care about it and the culture that has been formed around it. Running an anime con myself, I’ve had to prep ordinary folks who would be exposed to it what they were going to be seeing. It’s a wonderfully unique culture formed around a centeral concept, and I think that speaks volumes.
I have to check out Scott Pilgrim. I haven’t seen a legit and thoughtful reference to anime since One Hour Photo, and that was out of left field.
“Avatar” is a very good holliwood adaptation of Nausicaä 😉
“Battle Angel” coud well become the first great american live-action film adaptated from a manga.
Or, you know, Hollywood would be a good way to spell it.I guess we can now add Nausicaa to the mile long list of things people think Avatar resembles.
Actually, Avatar ripped off Secret of Mana.