Hip Hop Director Gets Gigantor
Director Bryan Barber, whose credits include the 2006 musical film Idlewild and music videos for artists including OutKast and Llyod, has personally secured the movie, merchandise, and video game rights to the Gigantor franchise from 86-year old director Fred Ladd, who produced the original 1964 English language adaptation of Japan’s 1956 television anime Tetsujin 28-gou. Barber explained that he watched Gigantor on television as a child and is now interested in owning the franchise rights to convince a Hollywood studio to fund a $60 million live-action Gigantor movie that Barber will direct. “I decided, if I was willing to invest my money to gamble on a project… why not spend that money on something I could control?” Barber stated.
George Lucas has made a mint with a sci-fi movie franchise that he owns the master rights to, so there’s definitely precedent for this sort of approach. And I have tremendous respect for any fan that loves an anime enough to invest in it. However, the viability of any Gigantor adaptation is questionable, particularly in the US. The franchise did get a Japanese live-action movie in 2005 that went by practically unnoticed in America despite even a domestic DVD release.
Source: Anime News Network
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Ladd is 86-years-old? Dang, I know he wasn’t exactly a spring chicken as I got into anime and manga, but where does the time go…
Well, the idea is that Real Steel made money, so Gigantor will be an easier cash-in now.
So Gigantor makes money, then Barber becomes the head and wants Disney to fund 60 million usd for a movie that Barber could direct. That’s interesting and gona product more news.