Gale Anne Hurd To Develop A New Movie Based On Japanese Giant Robot Anime Gaiking

By Rudie Obias | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

Giant Robots are quickly becoming the new trend in Hollywood in 2013. We’ve got the much-anticipated release of Gulliermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim due this summer, and now producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Walking Dead) and her production company, Valhalla Entertainment, are developing a new movie based on Toei Animation’s giant robot anime, Gaiking.

Gaiking

Gaiking was a Japanese anime from the late ’70s that eventually made its way to the U.S., where it was re-branded as Shogun Warriors by toy company Mattel and then introduced as the cartoon series Force Five. The new film will follow a young man who is recruited to be the lead pilot for the Super Robot Gaiking. But when an alien invasion threatens to take over the Earth, the young man is the planet’s last line of defense and their only hope for salvation. He is joined by his co-pilots, who also man other Super Robots.

The deal between Valhalla Entertainment, All Nippon Entertainment Works, and Toei Animation was finalized yesterday. Gale Anne Hurd will serve as the film’s lead producer. Expect to hear news about a screenwriter joining the production soon. Toei Animation is also responsible for other classic Japanese anime series including Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball, and Space Pirate Captain Harlock.

With the emergence of Transformers, Pacific Rim, and now Gaiking, it’s only a matter of time before Hollywood producers start looking at other giant robot properties like Voltron and Neon Genesis Evangelion to adapt into mainstream American films. [In fact, a Voltron movie has been in development for a while now, but seems to be stalled at the moment.] This is an exciting time for Japanese Anime fans living in the West. It’s rare that Hollywood looks to Japan for pop culture franchises so this may be a sign of what’s to come during the next decade.