WowWee Markets Imagi Toys

Imagi Animation, best known for producing the animated feature film TMNT, has signed a marketing and distribution agreement with WowWee Ltd., makers of the Robo Sapiens robotic toy.

Under the terms of the agreement, WowWee will market and distribute, outside of Asia, toys based on Imagi’s upcoming Gatchaman and Astro Boy feature films. Imagi, and its OEM partner Wah Shing Toys Ltd., are developing the toys to closely resemble the characters and design elements from these two movies.

WowWee is also allowing Imagi and Wah Shing to use some of its proprietary robotic technology in order to give these toy lines extra functionality.

There are conflicting reports on when Gatchaman will hit theatres. ICv2 and the Imagi website claim that the CGI animated film will come out in early 2009, while IMDb and Wikipedia still call for a 2008 release date. Nevertheless, all sites agree that Kevin Munroe (TMNT) will direct the flick, based on a script by Robert Mark Kamen (The Fifth Element, The Transporter).

The Astro Boy feature is also slated for a 2009 release. Former Pixar animator Colin Brady (Toy Story 2) will direct the film, and Maryann Garger (Flushed Away) will produce. There is as yet no word on who is writing the script.

Both of these movies are remakes of classic animes. Gatchaman is the revamping of the 1972 manga and anime Kagaku Ninja tai Gatchaman, created by Tatsuo Yoshida. It follows a team of teenaged, bird-costumed ninjas who defend Earth from the evil Galactor.

Gatchaman has a long history in North America. In 1978, it was first revamped for North American audiences as Battle of the Planets, and later renamed as G Force in the 1980’s.

Osamu Tezuka, who Imagi’s website calls “the father of anime,” first developed Astro Boy (originally called Tetsuwan Atomu) in 1951. The anime follows a robot named Atom or Astro Boy, who was built to look like a young boy. After being sold to a cruel circus owner, Atom is eventually adopted by Professor Ochanomizu of the Ministry of Science, and taught to use his powers (which include super hearing and butt-mounted laser guns) for good.

Fun Fact: There have been numerous attempts to bring Astro Boy to the silver screen. In 1962, MBS released a B-level, live-action adaptation of Astro Boy. When Walt Disney met Osamu Tezuka in 1964, the American animation mogul said he wanted to "make something just like" Astro Boy.

In 1999, Columbia Pictures and Jim Henson Productions announced that they were planning an Astro Boy feature film, but nothing else was done. In 2000, plans for a Japanese-Canadian IMAX production were shelved while in the early stages of development. In 2005, an IMAX Astro Boy featurette was made, but was only shown in Japan.

Gatchaman

Astro Boy image

Gatchaman concept art

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