Producer: Live-Action Evangelion Project Still Active (original) (raw)

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Producer: Live-Action Evangelion Project Still Active

posted on 2010-02-04 21:26 EST by Crystalyn Hodgkins

ANN Exclusive: On Thursday's ANNCast podcast, producer Joseph Chou (Halo Legends, Appleseed: Ex Machina) said that the proposed live-action film adaptation of the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime is still "very active." Chou is listed as a producer on the project. Chou mentioned that there is a lot of paperwork to clear, but "once that's resolved, I think it would be on the fast track, so we're hoping that it'll start moving even next year."

Chou discussed the difficulties of selling the concept of the film to studios in Hollywood, due to the complexity of the story. However, Chou said that "right now we're with a producer and a studio that really understands beyond the whole mecha impact." Chou added, "They're really looking beyond that, and really looking at drama, human elements, even to those elements that appeal to otaku."

Chou also said the reason the movie stopped moving forward was due to the anime market crash. Chou said "the reason it stopped in its tracks was not because [John Ledford, co-founder of A.D. Vision and ADV Films] wasn't paying attention to it … he actually amassed a considerable amount of money, financing, for the film … but then I think he just needed to stop, because the whole market was falling apart at that time," and as a result the movie "fell on the wayside." At that time Chou took over the task of presenting the film to Hollywood producers and studios. Chou mentioned that Ledford is still a part of the project.

The project was first announced at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival as a joint project between Gainax, Weta Workshop, and ADV Films. At that time, Ledford had given the project an "aggressive timetable."

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