Rights to Gundam and Macross

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Marikina
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Rights to Gundam and Macross

Who does a Western studio negotiate with if they want to acquire the rights to do a live action Macross or Gundam? It's something I've been puzzling over while tracking Marvel's battles with the various studios holding the rights to their properties; the anime corporate heirarchy isn't as clear to me.
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azrael
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Re: Rights to Gundam and Macross

You always talk to the copyright holders. In Gundam's case, you would talk to Sunrise, Inc.. In Macross' case, Big West, Inc..

The reason Marvel seems so convoluted is due to the fact that Marvel sold those film rights to other studios before they were bought by Disney. Up until a year or 2 ago, Marvel didn't have a dedicated film studio to handle their film rights, so they sold film rights to properties to Sony and 20th Century Fox. After they were bought by Disney, Disney took over film studio who would handle Marvel properties' film rights and productions.
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Marikina
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Re: Rights to Gundam and Macross

Would Macross' legal troubles affect a Western adaptation?
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AmuroNT1
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Re: Rights to Gundam and Macross

Are you joking? There would never BE an American adaptation of Macross due to the insane rights issues around it. There's a reason we haven't gotten anything other than the original series and Plus over here.
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Destiny_Gundam
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Re: Rights to Gundam and Macross

Don't forget II

Awhile back Toby MacGuire was talking about a Robotech film.
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azrael
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Re: Rights to Gundam and Macross

There would be no legal issues per se in doing a live-action adaption. However, if you were to call it "Macross" in the USA, Canada, parts of Europe, and Australia, you would be violating Harmony Gold's trademark on on the word "Macross".

The Robotech live-action is still in production-hell until someone decides to green-light the project for Tobey Macguire's film company. Warner Brothers, who owns the film distribution rights that production, has not fast-tracked that project, instead focusing on their DC Comics-imprint properties.

And if you're thinking about a live-action Gundam, G-Savior is it until someone else wants to attempt it. Shoji Kawamori did also attempt a live-action Macross story called Macross: Final Outpost but that was only talk and ended at that.
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Soma Taozi
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Re: Rights to Gundam and Macross

To be honest I don't think either a Gundam or a Macross live action movie is very likely. They may have some hard-core fans around the states, but they are no where near popular enough to generate a movie. They certianly aren't Transformers, but that said, if anything, a Gundam movie might be a little more likely due to the lack of legal issues, but as for Macross...I would be very surprised if a movie ever came out.

If anything, before we get a Gundam or Macross movie, we will get an Evangelion movie (still unlikely). Because at least that has progessed...kind of...
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MrWolverine
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Re: Rights to Gundam and Macross

Soma Taozi wrote:To be honest I don't think either a Gundam or a Macross live action movie is very likely. They may have some hard-core fans around the states, but they are no where near popular enough to generate a movie. They certianly aren't Transformers, but that said, if anything, a Gundam movie might be a little more likely due to the lack of legal issues, but as for Macross...I would be very surprised if a movie ever came out.

If anything, before we get a Gundam or Macross movie, we will get an Evangelion movie (still unlikely). Because at least that has progessed...kind of...
The main mistake in your analysis is thinking of the Western Market as it was JUST the US market. That's not true. Gundam is a VERY famous franchise in Europe, for example. You may add the huge Japanese and far- east audience... and take in consideration that the next animated remake of First Gundam, based on "The Origin" manga, may likely be able to meet the American audience interest the original show wasn't able to due to its aged animation.

In 1985, Lion's Gate Studios attempted to make a big budget Gundam movie, but Sunrise refused to sell the rights. Today Sunrise is part of Namco Bandai corporation, which is bound to Sony... and Sony owns one of the biggest movie studios in the world: Columbia Pictures.

So yes, a Gundam movie is not so unlikely to happen... maybe the 35th anniversary of the show in 2014 could be the right time...
Hyakushiki
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Re: Rights to Gundam and Macross

That bit of convolution you posted leads absolutely nowhere Columbia Pictures and Sunrise are still run as separate entities and rights would to be negotiated between those companies if such a project were to even to be considered. The likely cost involved in securing the rights to a property that would have limited appeal outside of Japan is not worth the time or expense nice try, but you are still back at square one.
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MrWolverine
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Re: Rights to Gundam and Macross

Hyakushiki wrote:The likely cost involved in securing the rights to a property that would have limited appeal outside of Japan is not worth the time or expense nice try, but you are still back at square one.
They used to say the very same thing about "The Adventures of Tin Tin": not nearly as known in US as it is in France and Belgium. Nevertheless, it was made and is doing very good at the worldwide Box Office. The Green Lantern is pretty much unknown among the regular audiences not familiar with comic books: they made a movie about him. Do we want to talk about the coming Akira Live Action Movie? Or the attempts made by TObey Maguire for Robotech (you think Robotech or Voltron are famous enough outside of the USA to justify such expenses? Nevertheless, they're trying to make them into movies!)

There are LOTS of properties with good potential for good box office performance but not a wide enough fanbase to secure the financial effort to be made... nevertheless, hollywood studios keep on betting and most of the time they succeed.

Moreover, I can't get how can you say "limited appeal outside Japan", when in Europe Gundam was broadcasted for the first time in 1980 and has still a huge fanbase there... The western world is not just USA...
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ShadowCell
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Re: Rights to Gundam and Macross

So you dragged back another thread to keep beating the Gundam movie horse.

Knock it off.

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