Michael Bay's Mobile Suit Gundam ?

Topics not covered in other forums. NO POLITICS OR RELIGION.

Mobile Suit Gundam live action movies done by Hollywood

SURE, FIRE UP!
27
47%
CHECK YOUR HEAD, DUDE!
30
53%
 
Total votes: 57
User avatar
Koshernova
Posts: 375
Joined: Thu Jun 14, 2007 10:30 am
Location: Glasgow (the city, not the Knightmare Frame)

Antares wrote:Good call, especially if JMS is familiar with Gundam as used it for inspiration on some aspects (for the life of me I can't imagine what they were from the top of my head). Then the question remains would he be interested in rewriting Gundam to be suited for American TV. My understanding is that he favors slightly more original material.
Good point, and I agree. I just can't think of anyone more well-suited to the project.
Here we have a marketing problem, because high-concept often equals high costs, and few channels are willing to put up the bill for something like that without serious predictions of good ratings. Bear in mind that even B5 almost got axed in the end of the fourth season, and it shows. But again admittedly you should have a screenplay that's set in a larger storyarch to give Gundam a chance to work its magic (if any :P ).
Which is part of why I said I don't see it happening, ever. Galactica had nostalgia value going for it, at least at the outset. Then it surprised everyone with the opening mini-series. Gundam has a checkered story in the states, and brand recognition that is generally associated with silly tweens who jerk off to anything Heero Yuy says.
Again this is my hearsay but Tomino is not apparently that keen on working together with someone who wants to rewrite his creations. We'd have a serious problem with who is really running the project in that case.
Well, the idea would be that they would collaborate, but of course nobody can force Tomino to do so if he doesn't want to. However, I don't like the fact that he basically has no say on what happens to the Gundam franchise anymore. He probably doesn't like it either, hence being over protective of his own part in it.
I fear that if it were possible, it might have to be a fairly stand-alone production in the US with the necessary rights purchased (if they can be purchased for a sum that doesn't sink the project right from the start). There would have to be a major commitment from one party to a product that quite frankly doesn't have a guaranteed hit value.
If it was a standalone US production... I don't know. I have visions of the guy from Hercules being cast as Ramba Ral or some shit.
User avatar
Chris
Administrator
Posts: 3381
Joined: Thu Mar 02, 2006 5:20 pm
Contact:

Falconfire wrote:Not meaning to step on anyones toes here but wanted to point out the fact that MSG IS optioned by a unnamed Hollywood company for a movie, and Tomino IS going to be writing it accourding to him. The news was out and about the net back in 2005, but has since fallen off the radar (to the point I cant even find the original story)

I know more was posted by Aintitcoolnews, but that was since debunked though the original story from Tomino that he did have a Hollywood studio option it is still legit to my knowledge.
You haven't heard anything else because the whole thing is bunk. There is no Hollywood studio option on MSG, and no script by Tomino. When it comes to Ain't it Cool's anime coverage from a few years ago, you really have to take it with more than just a grain of salt because anime isn't their thing and they don't check things out as much as a dedicated anime site would. Also, you have to take any information about Tomino or that Tomino reportedly said with a grain of salt. Unless you see something in print or from a reputable website, there's so much misinformation in the fan community about "Tomino said this" or "Tomino said that", and unfortunately, the more the misinformation gets repeated, the truer it becomes for fans.
Co-founder/editor-in-chief, MAHQ
Pronouns: he/him/his
Falconfire
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2007 2:06 pm

Chris wrote:
Falconfire wrote:Not meaning to step on anyones toes here but wanted to point out the fact that MSG IS optioned by a unnamed Hollywood company for a movie, and Tomino IS going to be writing it accourding to him. The news was out and about the net back in 2005, but has since fallen off the radar (to the point I cant even find the original story)

I know more was posted by Aintitcoolnews, but that was since debunked though the original story from Tomino that he did have a Hollywood studio option it is still legit to my knowledge.
You haven't heard anything else because the whole thing is bunk. There is no Hollywood studio option on MSG, and no script by Tomino. When it comes to Ain't it Cool's anime coverage from a few years ago, you really have to take it with more than just a grain of salt because anime isn't their thing and they don't check things out as much as a dedicated anime site would. Also, you have to take any information about Tomino or that Tomino reportedly said with a grain of salt. Unless you see something in print or from a reputable website, there's so much misinformation in the fan community about "Tomino said this" or "Tomino said that", and unfortunately, the more the misinformation gets repeated, the truer it becomes for fans.
Well to be honest the live action story came from Animenewsnetwork, which has a listing of a bunch of movies and shows heading to live action some I know ended up going nowhere (Witch Hunter Robin which ended up being put on the backburner by Sci Fi for Flash Gordon) and other I know are moving forward (Eva), Aint it Cool was where I heard about some other things pertaining to the movie (that it was First Gundam, and that it was in pre production already) but that was debunked as I pointed out (story doesnt even exist anymore in fact)
turkishproverb
Posts: 191
Joined: Wed May 02, 2007 2:42 pm
Location: Tn

Kosh wrote:
Antares wrote:Good call, especially if JMS is familiar with Gundam as used it for inspiration on some aspects (for the life of me I can't imagine what they were from the top of my head). Then the question remains would he be interested in rewriting Gundam to be suited for American TV. My understanding is that he favors slightly more original material.
Good point, and I agree. I just can't think of anyone more well-suited to the project.
Well, I'm not as sure I agree, especially if you don't want to get angry with him.

I enjoy alot of JMS's work, but if you've read anything he did for marvel comics, you'll know pre existing work with a character is meaningless to him. He'll do horrible stuff that doesn't make sense for the origional.

If i could accept htis as a seperate work, I might enjoy it, but I'm afraid he'd end up Pulling a Gwen stacy goblin baby incident with a major character or something. And if he did, I might not be able to get over it.

Kosh wrote:
Antares wrote:Here we have a marketing problem, because high-concept often equals high costs, and few channels are willing to put up the bill for something like that without serious predictions of good ratings. Bear in mind that even B5 almost got axed in the end of the fourth season, and it shows. But again admittedly you should have a screenplay that's set in a larger storyarch to give Gundam a chance to work its magic (if any :P ).
Which is part of why I said I don't see it happening, ever. Galactica had nostalgia value going for it, at least at the outset. Then it surprised everyone with the opening mini-series. Gundam has a checkered story in the states, and brand recognition that is generally associated with silly tweens who jerk off to anything Heero Yuy says.
I think part of the key here might be a careful advertising break. You start with short clips. Guerrila advertising. "Victory by 0080" sighns. Unnamed, unmarked previews with a date. Show human drama, severe action. don't even show giant robots for the 1st month or two of the advertising. Show previews with the buildup to UC 0079, each one like 15-60 seconds, plus a UC date, and a series start date. Begin with a clip showing colonization starting, with the AD Date, followed by: UC 0001. Be subtle. After a while, start putting the U.C. date at the bottom. Don't even put GUNDAM in the name if you can avoid it. Name the series:


UNIVERSAL CENTURY: The One Year War.

or something to that effect.

How about the origional meaning for M.S.?

Movement Soldier: The one Year war?
Join Zeon: Victory by 0080
Ascension wrote:
turkishproverb wrote:Unless your Joe Quesada.
:lol: Ahh, Quesada. He is to comic book fans what Fukuda is to Gundam fans.
Ravager
Posts: 777
Joined: Wed Dec 20, 2006 12:59 pm

If they want to do Gundam, they should start with the OYW as that's the most recognisable and do a trilogy with the same length as Star Wars. Maybe that'll turn out fine
The Titans Test Team: They go through more mobile suits than Jerid Messa on his best day!
James E. 'ZEE' Doyle
Posts: 310
Joined: Fri May 05, 2006 4:56 am

I can see live-action movies based on the original Gundam happening in the next ten years, but not as an American film. Gundam has virtually zero name recognition among the North American public, and it's simply not the sort of storyline one sees in your typical mega-budget blockbuster these days.

Somebody's going to do it someday, though. Mark my words.
User avatar
mcred23
Posts: 4200
Joined: Sun Mar 05, 2006 2:12 pm
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Contact:

Yeah, in Japan, almost like their version of our new Transformers movie.
I must betray Stalindog!!!

RPG TRINARY: Mash
Die Anti-brutale Kraft: mcred23 (Call me 'red', not 'mcred')
James E. 'ZEE' Doyle
Posts: 310
Joined: Fri May 05, 2006 4:56 am

Also, reading back: That Star Blazers adaptation has been rumored for years and years now. At one point the ship was going to be a rebuilt USS Arizona, which deserves some sort of prize as far as idiotic ideas go. This one ranks pretty high one the "ain't-gonna-happen-O-meter" IMO.

A Voltron movie has been rumored for several years as well. The success of Transformers might actually lead to this one happening, but I'll believe it when I see it.

As far as I know, WETA does not own the Evangelion movie rights: they were hired to produce concept art and nothing more. Last I heard the project failed to attract sufficient interest from investors and is basically dead.

James Cameron and Gale Ann Hurd were said to be working on live-action adaptations of Battle Angel Alita and Mazinger a few years back, but both projects appear to be dead now. Tim Burton was attached to Mai the Psychic Girl, which spent several years in development hell before it was finally put out if its misery.

Speilberg is said to have expressed some interest in the Gundam property back in the 1980s. Syd Mead included Gundam material in one of his books which was supposedly done for this project, whatever it was.

edit: Info on Mead's website has him doing Gundam design work for Sunrise in 1995, with no menton of any Spielberg film project. An example of that work can be found here.
Falconfire
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2007 2:06 pm

Paramount has the Voltron rights, Pharrel Williams is set to produce and score it and its set to start production end of this year or early next.

James Cameron is most certainly doing the Battle Angel movie, as he has stated his next two projects are Battle Angel, and what was at the time Project 880, what we now know is Avatar a film Cameron has been planning for years. Battle Angel is set for a 2009 release though I have a feeling Avatar might push it back a bit. WETA is set to do effects for Avatar with the plan being the hybrid 3D work they are doing on it will be included in Battle Angel. There is a ton of info on the net about these two projects as these are Cameron's reintroduction to commercial movies after having done almost of decade of documentaries since Titanic, Im shocked anyone would think it's fallen through as he just talked about it in March.

WETA's Evangelion work is most certainly not dead, I cant really tell you how I know it, just that I spoke with someone of significant influence in WETA in Philly last week while they where doing location scouting for "The Lovely Bones" which Jackson is in town for. The major holdup at this point is actually director, as ADV has always been the production company. As of 2005 they had banked away a little over half the 100-120 mil they planned to spend.

as for Syd Mead's work, that was for Turn A Gundam. He had nothing to do with the rumored Speilberg production as it was never true, Speilberg's supposed Gundam interest was in truth about Transformers.

As for the scary craptastic Star Blazers adaption... its back on but its being heavily reworked..... thank god.


As for if they where to do a Gundam movie, they could do well with adapting the book, taking out the death of you know who, but keeping much of it the same. For one thing, it would eliminate any need for the Earth arch, and let you do a movie of the entire 1 year war without having to make it a 3 movie thing.
User avatar
Mwulf
Posts: 793
Joined: Mon Jan 08, 2007 5:46 am

You know who?

I assume you mean Lalah or Kusko, since they're rather redundant.
Another Day, Another Mishap.

Gundam Seed Fates
ASA (comic)
Falconfire
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2007 2:06 pm

Mwulf wrote:You know who?

I assume you mean Lalah or Kusko, since they're rather redundant.
No I meant a major character, if you want to be spoiled there is a post in the Anime and Manga forum about their fate and the Gundam novels in general... its quite a shocker, but was written before funding was cut on MSG thus is more in line to what the intended final of the show was.
User avatar
Mwulf
Posts: 793
Joined: Mon Jan 08, 2007 5:46 am

I can only think of one other person you could be talking about, and honestly... him dying doesn't need to be removed. The hero doesn't always have to live to the end and ride off into the sunset.
Another Day, Another Mishap.

Gundam Seed Fates
ASA (comic)
aka010101
Posts: 28
Joined: Tue May 29, 2007 9:48 pm

I dont know, despite all the things that could drag it down, if it was done RIGHT , it could skyrocket gundam into the mainstream in the US.
But it would have to be done VERY carefully, it would have to be all CGI , second , done by someone who can handle the complexity needed for gudnam , and most importantly, DO A NEW STORY, nothing from ANY PREVIOUS gundam series , not even in the same universe.

It would be a gamble, but imagine if it was done and it was really good. Like STAR WARS good, and i mean the origional STAR WARS.
Falconfire
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2007 2:06 pm

Mwulf wrote:I can only think of one other person you could be talking about, and honestly... him dying doesn't need to be removed. The hero doesn't always have to live to the end and ride off into the sunset.
very true, but if they where ever to make sequels to this (which knowing movies, they will) they will need to keep him from dying. Not to mention so many people have not read the books and would flat out flip out at such a rewriting.
User avatar
Ryujin
Posts: 1350
Joined: Tue Mar 07, 2006 6:43 am
Contact:

James E. 'ZEE' Doyle wrote:edit: Info on Mead's website has him doing Gundam design work for Sunrise in 1995, with no menton of any Spielberg film project. An example of that work can be found here.
That illustration wasn't done for Bandai in '95. It was done for Newtype Magazine back in the late '80's (no, I'm not digging through my old issues to look for the exact date). For the record, it's his take on the Mk-II.

You're confusing the dates on his website--the 1995 date refers to his work on New Yamato, not Gundam. His 'official' involvement in Gundam is, of course, with Turn-A.

Do note that, in his film history section, this entry appears:

1983 . 13

LIONS GATE FILMGUNDAM MOVIE
Hollywood Adapt classic series character for domestic audience film style. Film aborted for legal reasons

Rather oddball grammar there, which raises some flags...but it is on Syd's official site.
James E. 'ZEE' Doyle
Posts: 310
Joined: Fri May 05, 2006 4:56 am

Ryujin wrote:You're confusing the dates on his website--the 1995 date refers to his work on New Yamato, not Gundam.
You're right of course. I had a bad case of the dumb when I made that post. I have seen other Gundam artwork by Mead that predates Turn A, though.
turkishproverb
Posts: 191
Joined: Wed May 02, 2007 2:42 pm
Location: Tn

aka010101 wrote:I dont know, despite all the things that could drag it down, if it was done RIGHT , it could skyrocket gundam into the mainstream in the US.
But it would have to be done VERY carefully, it would have to be all CGI , second , done by someone who can handle the complexity needed for gudnam , and most importantly, DO A NEW STORY, nothing from ANY PREVIOUS gundam series , not even in the same universe.

It would be a gamble, but imagine if it was done and it was really good. Like STAR WARS good, and i mean the origional STAR WARS.

That depends, I think, on your definition of in the same universe. As I said, I think using the One year war setting could work, as long as they did not feel beholden to that continuity.


And as for the "ALL CGI" suggestion, such projects have historically NOT gone over well with the american public. (see FF:TSW) I'd imagine most of the special effects would have to be, but we'd end up with Transformers/battle star galactica levels of cgi.
Join Zeon: Victory by 0080
Ascension wrote:
turkishproverb wrote:Unless your Joe Quesada.
:lol: Ahh, Quesada. He is to comic book fans what Fukuda is to Gundam fans.
User avatar
Mark064
Posts: 1667
Joined: Thu Mar 02, 2006 9:57 pm

The problem with a Gundam big budget live action movie is that virtually most of the population has never heard of Gundam and are not fans of Gundam. So basically instead of creating something least bit faithful to attract the miniscule ammount of fans they'd have to create something to attract the general public. However would that be an easy task is the question. Because chances are it's going to air in Japan where the population more knows of Gundam so they'd want something to appear to their fandom and not some teen movie where Gundam is thrown in.

"Poor Al Right does not fit in at his school, his mother has left his dad, his dad is too busy with work to actually care about his son. The only one left looking out for him is his friend from across the street Sarah Parkson. Then one day an experimental robot known as a Gundam is thrust into his lap! The evil terrorist organization known as Al Zeft are using their onw Zain robots trying to take down the White House and instill a rule of terror across America! Now Al Right must stand up to the terrorist in his all powerful robot the Gundam! This summer Al Right is going to learn the horrors of fighting aginst the terrorist and stand up to the challenge! Can he survive?"
Antares
Posts: 1546
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 3:44 am
Location: Finland
Contact:

Mark, you made my day at the office. :lol:
-We will not be caught by surprise!
*Almost everyone I've killed uttered similar last words.
-Then I am glad once again that you are on my side.
*They've often said that too.
User avatar
wing zero alpha
Posts: 1061
Joined: Sun Mar 05, 2006 8:49 pm
Location: 10th Division HQ, Seireitei

Mark064 wrote:"Poor Al Right does not fit in at his school, his mother has left his dad, his dad is too busy with work to actually care about his son. The only one left looking out for him is his friend from across the street Sarah Parkson. Then one day an experimental robot known as a Gundam is thrust into his lap! The evil terrorist organization known as Al Zeft are using their onw Zain robots trying to take down the White House and instill a rule of terror across America! Now Al Right must stand up to the terrorist in his all powerful robot the Gundam! This summer Al Right is going to learn the horrors of fighting aginst the terrorist and stand up to the challenge! Can he survive?"
Don't speak too loudly; Bandai might probing these forums for their next "bright idea" after all :shock: :roll:.
Post Reply