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Trailer for new Japanese live action anime adaptation CASSHERN (1 Viewer)

Brian Thibodeau

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Anime fans will definitely get a kick out of this. It's an old TV anime series from the early 70's that was revived in the 90's and now gets a staggering live-action treatment. Looks to be heavy on the CG, but there's really no other way to go when you're adapting anime to the live action realm. Can't wait to see this, preferably theatrically, before it hits DVD. Personally, I'd line up for this before SKY CAPTAIN.

http://www.casshern.com/

Click the trailer button to select your viewing preference.
 

Edwin-S

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It looks interesting. CG is a little obvious, but it actually looks like it might be a decent action film with some dramatic elements.
 

Brian Thibodeau

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Can't remember where I read it, but someone on some other forum suggested it was somewhere around $47 million (US), or $5 billion Yen, as reported in various Japanese media. Allegedly the most expensive picture ever made in the country. At least they used source material a lot of Japanese would no doubt be familiar with, and knowing how tightly anime and manga are woven into the culture, I'm sure it'll do well over there, and perhaps throughout Asia.
 

JohnS

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Just saw this as well.
Never seen the anime, but this movie looks like it will be really good.
great look to it.
 

JohnS

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Is there any american info on this.
everything seems to be written in japanese.

Are there any R1 DVD's?
and how much are they taking from the Anime version? (70's/90's?)

and I'm assuming WE won't beable to see it untill DVD?
 

Pete-D

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If that's $6 million, that's unbelievable. Even at $47 mill, that looks mighty impressive.

I want to see this badly, but I guess we'll have to wait on the DVD, huh?
 

Brian Thibodeau

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I don't doubt for a second that that film cost in the vicinity of $6 million U.S. When I hear that the most expensive Korean movie of all time cost around $9 million U.S. and looks like it cost $40 million, and when I hear that the most expensive HK movies that don't feature Jackie Chan still rarely crack a $3-4 million budget (with most coming in well under $2 million a piece), I don't doubt at all that the Japanese could whip something like this up for about $6 million, perhaps a little more. I'm not sure if the film industry is unionized in Japan, but if it is, that could raise the price a bit, but it still wouldn't approach the money the Americans would have to throw at a project to get that kind of star power and production value. The Japanese know a thing or two about industriousness and efficiency, something American studios are decidedly not. If the Japanese film industry is NOT unionized, that would easily explain the price. Creative people are not bound by the stipulations of their contracts and are free to wear more than one hat without pissing off their co-workers or invoking greivances. The whole process would certainly be faster. That's the magic of Hong Kong movies. The credits rarely run more than a minute and actually feature everyone who worked on the film! Sure, there's a rough-edge quality to HK cinema as a result, but its still some of the most exhilarating stuff on earth.

And yes, we'll probably have to wait for DVD to see this one, unless it gets some festival play. Hopefully, it'll get released on a Hong Kong label, which invariably means it will have English subs and be very reasonably priced, albeit without extras.

incidentally, the Korean film industry is unionized, as is much of the country's business and industry, but there's no market that allows them to fork over $20 million US to their top actors. I suspect the same could hold true in Japan. Humility's a good thing sometimes.
 

RobertM.Fleming

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I friend of mine just linked me the trailer last night....and Ive watched it least a half dozen times since then.

Impressive to say the least. If they were to slip this trailer as is in US theaters right now it would have a huge huge buzz around it.

I bet it will get a theatrical release here.

least I hope it does.
 

Jason Seaver

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Wouldn't be surprised. Hopefully it'll hit the Boston Fantastic Film Festival, too (if Ned & Ivy aren't too discouraged by last year's less-than-huge tournout).
 

Pete-D

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Even without the bounds of union work, $6 million is still unbelievable.

This looks like what the $100+ million Final Fantasy movie (albiet that was entirely CGI) should have been.

It's scary though, you have to wonder what they could do with $50 or $60 million in the same conditions. They'd probably blow the biggest Hollywood spectacles off the screen.

I think the other issue is, the Japanese because of the intense anime/manga/video game culture there have a higher sense of artistic movement IMO. Everyone crapped their pants when the Matrix came out here because of the style and the movement of the action scenes, but that's an old hat in Japanese anime.

I would love to see this get a theaterical release here. Maybe Sony Pictures or even more indie labels like Newmarket could pick it up. Obviously, with the success of Passion and Crouching Tiger, audiences will come to a subtitled film as long as its got something compelling on screen.
 

Ricardo C

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I will hunt this movie down on DVD, I don't care how much it costs to import it. Holy crap what an amazing trailer :emoji_thumbsup:
 

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