Well, it's official — Netflix's live-action remake of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" paid off (for the company at least). Avatar Aang (Gordon Cormier) will get to continue mastering the elements, now that "Avatar" has been renewed for seasons 2 and 3.
"Avatar" is just the latest anime that Netflix has brought to live-action. On this spectrum, "Avatar" falls below the well-received "One Piece" remake but ahead of the swiftly-canned live-action "Cowboy Bebop" (that even original series creator Shinichirō Watanabe couldn't finish).
Netflix hasn't stopped there. The streamer is letting "Stranger Things" creators the Duffer Brothers take a crack at "Death Note" and has had a live-action "Gundam" movie in development since 2021. Other studios are getting into anime properties as well: Lionsgate has recruited "Shang-Chi" director Destin Daniel Cretton to adapt "Naruto" into a live-action movie.
Anime YouTube critic Bennett The Sage has speculated that Netflix is leaning hard into anime adaptations because,...
"Avatar" is just the latest anime that Netflix has brought to live-action. On this spectrum, "Avatar" falls below the well-received "One Piece" remake but ahead of the swiftly-canned live-action "Cowboy Bebop" (that even original series creator Shinichirō Watanabe couldn't finish).
Netflix hasn't stopped there. The streamer is letting "Stranger Things" creators the Duffer Brothers take a crack at "Death Note" and has had a live-action "Gundam" movie in development since 2021. Other studios are getting into anime properties as well: Lionsgate has recruited "Shang-Chi" director Destin Daniel Cretton to adapt "Naruto" into a live-action movie.
Anime YouTube critic Bennett The Sage has speculated that Netflix is leaning hard into anime adaptations because,...
- 3/11/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
The results are in, and Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender seems to be a hit.
The live action adaptation topped the streamer’s weekly English-language TV list with 21.2M views in its opening weekend. According to Netflix, it reached the Top 10 in 92 countries. It was edged out as most-watched title of the week by the Swedish natural disaster film The Abyss.
That’s a strong showing for the eight-episode series, which was another big swing for Netflix as it continues to dip its toes into anime-inspired content. In fact, Avatar managed to surpass One Piece in its debut weekend.
As with One Piece, Netflix was firing on all cylinders to launch the series, partnering with Serena Williams and even taking over the Las Vegas Sphere. So far, the Avatar global social campaign has reached 1.53B impressions, which is on par with both One Piece as well as Netflix’s hit series Wednesday.
The live action adaptation topped the streamer’s weekly English-language TV list with 21.2M views in its opening weekend. According to Netflix, it reached the Top 10 in 92 countries. It was edged out as most-watched title of the week by the Swedish natural disaster film The Abyss.
That’s a strong showing for the eight-episode series, which was another big swing for Netflix as it continues to dip its toes into anime-inspired content. In fact, Avatar managed to surpass One Piece in its debut weekend.
As with One Piece, Netflix was firing on all cylinders to launch the series, partnering with Serena Williams and even taking over the Las Vegas Sphere. So far, the Avatar global social campaign has reached 1.53B impressions, which is on par with both One Piece as well as Netflix’s hit series Wednesday.
- 2/27/2024
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
In The Late Great, Primetimer staffers and contributors revisit shows that were cut short, but still cast a long shadow over the TV landscape.
It’s been a little more than 10 years since Shinichirō Watanabe, creator of Cowboy Bebop, introduced us to one of his best characters with a simple monologue: “He’s a dandy guy… in space. He combs the galaxy like his pompadour on the hunt for aliens. Planet after planet he searches, discovering bizarre new creatures both friendly and not.”...
It’s been a little more than 10 years since Shinichirō Watanabe, creator of Cowboy Bebop, introduced us to one of his best characters with a simple monologue: “He’s a dandy guy… in space. He combs the galaxy like his pompadour on the hunt for aliens. Planet after planet he searches, discovering bizarre new creatures both friendly and not.”...
- 1/18/2024
- by Juan Barquin
- Primetimer
In the late 1990s, Bandai Entertainment and the Japanese animation studio Sunrise approached young director Shinichirō Watanabe to make a sci-fi action show (mostly so they could sell spaceship toys). Watanabe took that directive and led the creation of "Cowboy Bebop."
This 26-episode show followed down-on-their-luck bounty hunters in the year 2071, when mankind has colonized the solar system and left behind a ruined Earth. It brought Western and noir storytelling together into its sci-fi setting, fused with an existential mood and jazzy music composed by Yoko Kanno.
"Cowboy Bebop" first aired in Japan 25 years ago, from 1998 to 1999, and Bandai Entertainment soon imported it stateside, where it debuted on Cartoon Network block Adult Swim in 2001. If anything, it's become an even bigger (and more enduring) hit in the U.S. than in its homeland. A big reason for this popularity was because the English dub was excellent: The characters speaking the...
This 26-episode show followed down-on-their-luck bounty hunters in the year 2071, when mankind has colonized the solar system and left behind a ruined Earth. It brought Western and noir storytelling together into its sci-fi setting, fused with an existential mood and jazzy music composed by Yoko Kanno.
"Cowboy Bebop" first aired in Japan 25 years ago, from 1998 to 1999, and Bandai Entertainment soon imported it stateside, where it debuted on Cartoon Network block Adult Swim in 2001. If anything, it's become an even bigger (and more enduring) hit in the U.S. than in its homeland. A big reason for this popularity was because the English dub was excellent: The characters speaking the...
- 11/21/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
The Straw Hat Pirates are growing their ranks.
The audience for Netflix’s One Piece ballooned during the series’ first full week on the service, tallying 19.3M views from September 4 to September 10 and easily making it to the top of Netflix’s English-language TV list for the week. The audience is up nearly a million views from last week, when the adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s manga accumulated 18.5M views in its premiere weekend.
The eight-episode series still has a ways to go before it could land on the all-time most popular list, but 37.8M views in less than two weeks is still quite a feat. And there’s plenty of time left in the series’ 91-day premiere window to make it happen.
This is quite the win for Netflix, which threw significant resources into the adaptation. There was certainly a lot riding on One Piece, since it was a...
The audience for Netflix’s One Piece ballooned during the series’ first full week on the service, tallying 19.3M views from September 4 to September 10 and easily making it to the top of Netflix’s English-language TV list for the week. The audience is up nearly a million views from last week, when the adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s manga accumulated 18.5M views in its premiere weekend.
The eight-episode series still has a ways to go before it could land on the all-time most popular list, but 37.8M views in less than two weeks is still quite a feat. And there’s plenty of time left in the series’ 91-day premiere window to make it happen.
This is quite the win for Netflix, which threw significant resources into the adaptation. There was certainly a lot riding on One Piece, since it was a...
- 9/12/2023
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
On paper, adapting “One Piece” — a manga filled with rubbery protagonists, giant swords, fish people and flamboyant costumes — for live-action seems like a task as foolish as trying to become King of the Pirates. But for Tomorrow Studios CEO Marty Adelstein and partner/president Becky Clements, it was a challenge they couldn’t resist.
“Because it was such a big piece of IP, beloved all over the world, we’re basically masochists,” Adelstein joked to TheWrap. “We just felt that there was a way forward to do it. And if it could be done, it would resonate with all the fans around the world. It was a challenge we couldn’t not pursue.”
It’s also a challenge that’s already paid off, at least on some level. In early January, the teams at Tomorrow Studios and ITV Studios hosted a screening attended by “One Piece’s” creator, artist Eiichiro Oda.
“Because it was such a big piece of IP, beloved all over the world, we’re basically masochists,” Adelstein joked to TheWrap. “We just felt that there was a way forward to do it. And if it could be done, it would resonate with all the fans around the world. It was a challenge we couldn’t not pursue.”
It’s also a challenge that’s already paid off, at least on some level. In early January, the teams at Tomorrow Studios and ITV Studios hosted a screening attended by “One Piece’s” creator, artist Eiichiro Oda.
- 8/31/2023
- by Kayla Cobb
- The Wrap
The big movie studios opted out of San Diego Comic-Con 2023, meaning the event didn't have all the air sucked up by the next big Marvel Cinematic Universe news for once. One of the most exciting announcements was "Lazarus," a new sci-fi thriller anime from Shinichirō Watanabe and Studio Mappa.
The announcement came with a teaser trailer; Watanabe's animes always have a musical theme and it looks like "Lazarus" will have the same jazzy score as "Bebop" (this time performed by saxophonist Kamasi Washington). Rather than a U.S. import like most anime, "Lazarus" will premiere on Toonami (the production team is aiming to be finished by the end of 2024). The American influence doesn't stop there, for the action scenes will be designed by "John Wick" director Chad Stahelski. Watanabe crafts animated action with unrivaled fluidity, so him and Stahelski working together is a dream team.
Even before this project,...
The announcement came with a teaser trailer; Watanabe's animes always have a musical theme and it looks like "Lazarus" will have the same jazzy score as "Bebop" (this time performed by saxophonist Kamasi Washington). Rather than a U.S. import like most anime, "Lazarus" will premiere on Toonami (the production team is aiming to be finished by the end of 2024). The American influence doesn't stop there, for the action scenes will be designed by "John Wick" director Chad Stahelski. Watanabe crafts animated action with unrivaled fluidity, so him and Stahelski working together is a dream team.
Even before this project,...
- 8/5/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Lazarus is coming soon to Adult Swim. The cable channel has ordered the new thriller anime from the creator of Cowboy Bebop, Shinichirō Watanabe. The series revolves around what happens after a neuroscientist, Dr. Skinner, introduces a miracle cure-all drug. Skinner disappears for years and when he returns, he announces that everyone who has taken the drug has just three years left to live. A special task force is assembled to try to find a cure.
Read More…...
Read More…...
- 7/22/2023
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
The battle for basketball supremacy is officially on in Season 2 of HBO’s Winning Time.
In a new trailer (which you can watch above), Magic Johnson and the L.A. Lakers are basking in the glow of their recent NBA championship, but Larry Bird and the hated Boston Celtics are determined to take them down. Season 2 dives into the heart of the fierce Lakers-Celtics rivalry in the ’80s, including Magic’s clashes with his head coach Paul Westhead, Pat Riley’s slicked-back hair and Celtics player Kevin McHale’s infamous clothesline of Lakers player Kurt Rambis.
More from TVLineFuturama Returns!
In a new trailer (which you can watch above), Magic Johnson and the L.A. Lakers are basking in the glow of their recent NBA championship, but Larry Bird and the hated Boston Celtics are determined to take them down. Season 2 dives into the heart of the fierce Lakers-Celtics rivalry in the ’80s, including Magic’s clashes with his head coach Paul Westhead, Pat Riley’s slicked-back hair and Celtics player Kevin McHale’s infamous clothesline of Lakers player Kurt Rambis.
More from TVLineFuturama Returns!
- 7/20/2023
- by Vlada Gelman
- TVLine.com
Adult Swim has given the green light to a new anime series from Shinichirō Watanabe, Lazarus.
The series will mark Watanabe’s return to the sci-fi action genre with a globe-trotting thriller set in the near future.
The year is 2052 – an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity prevails across the globe. The reason for this: mankind has been freed from sickness and pain. Nobel Prize winning neuroscientist Dr. Skinner has developed a miracle cure-all drug with no apparent drawbacks called Hapuna. Hapuna soon becomes ubiquitous… and essential. However, soon after Hapuna is officially introduced, Dr. Skinner vanishes.
Three years later, the world has moved on. But Dr. Skinner has returned – this time, as a harbinger of doom. Skinner announces that Hapuna has a short half-life. Everyone who has taken it will die approximately three years later. Death is coming for this sinful world – and coming soon.
As a response to this threat,...
The series will mark Watanabe’s return to the sci-fi action genre with a globe-trotting thriller set in the near future.
The year is 2052 – an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity prevails across the globe. The reason for this: mankind has been freed from sickness and pain. Nobel Prize winning neuroscientist Dr. Skinner has developed a miracle cure-all drug with no apparent drawbacks called Hapuna. Hapuna soon becomes ubiquitous… and essential. However, soon after Hapuna is officially introduced, Dr. Skinner vanishes.
Three years later, the world has moved on. But Dr. Skinner has returned – this time, as a harbinger of doom. Skinner announces that Hapuna has a short half-life. Everyone who has taken it will die approximately three years later. Death is coming for this sinful world – and coming soon.
As a response to this threat,...
- 7/20/2023
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
Adult Swim has greenlit “Lazarus,” a new Toonami series from renowned anime director Shinichirō Watanabe, known for his work helming episodes of “Cowboy Bebop,” “Samurai Champloo” and “Kids on the Slope.”
Produced by Sola Entertainment and animated by Studio Mappa, “Lazarus” also recruits the contributions of “John Wick” series director Chad Stahelski, who designed several action sequences for the series, along with the musical talents of saxophonist Kamasi Washington; producer, DJ and musician Floating Points; and producer, DJ and musician Bonobo. The trio will provide a jazz and electronic score for the project.
Watanabe will pull the curtain back on the series at the Adult Swim Festival in San Diego on Saturday at 5:15 p.m., as part of the Comic-Con event Toonami on the Green.
“Lazarus,” which is already in production, takes place in 2052. The series follows a Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist that develops a drug called Hapuna — a cure-all...
Produced by Sola Entertainment and animated by Studio Mappa, “Lazarus” also recruits the contributions of “John Wick” series director Chad Stahelski, who designed several action sequences for the series, along with the musical talents of saxophonist Kamasi Washington; producer, DJ and musician Floating Points; and producer, DJ and musician Bonobo. The trio will provide a jazz and electronic score for the project.
Watanabe will pull the curtain back on the series at the Adult Swim Festival in San Diego on Saturday at 5:15 p.m., as part of the Comic-Con event Toonami on the Green.
“Lazarus,” which is already in production, takes place in 2052. The series follows a Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist that develops a drug called Hapuna — a cure-all...
- 7/20/2023
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Artificial intelligence has been a sci-fi villain for about as long as the concept has existed, but in the past few months, we've seen the issue of AI become timely, present, and poignant. There is AI taking over journalism, AI being used to replicate actors' voices, and AI making a whole Oasis album. Artificial intelligence is also part of the negotiations that led to the Writers Guild of America's strike, as concerns about AI's role in the creative arts become more and more urgent.
It used to be a common belief that robots would take over technical jobs like programming, not the arts. This is a development few saw coming, but "Cowboy Bebop" creator Shinichirō Watanabe was one of those few. Back in 2019, Watanabe made a new anime in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the famed studio, Bones, called "Carole & Tuesday."
The show's basic premise is that it...
It used to be a common belief that robots would take over technical jobs like programming, not the arts. This is a development few saw coming, but "Cowboy Bebop" creator Shinichirō Watanabe was one of those few. Back in 2019, Watanabe made a new anime in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the famed studio, Bones, called "Carole & Tuesday."
The show's basic premise is that it...
- 5/10/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Released in 2021, "Yasuke" is an anime miniseries created by LeSean Thomas for Netflix. Based on a legendary figure from Japanese history, the titular Yasuke is an African man who comes to Japan with some Jesuit missionaries and eventually becomes a samurai in the service of Lord Oda Nobunaga. When Nobunaga and his forces are destroyed by another warlord, Yasuke flees and finds a quiet retirement as a boatman outside a small village. When he's asked to help a sick little girl get to a doctor, he soon finds himself called on to fight once again.
With only six episodes, it's entirely likely that "Yasuke" will leave you wanting more. Fortunately, there are lots of other anime series out there for you to watch, and quite a few of them have similar settings and themes. We've put together a list of anime you should check out once you've watched Yasuke, and...
With only six episodes, it's entirely likely that "Yasuke" will leave you wanting more. Fortunately, there are lots of other anime series out there for you to watch, and quite a few of them have similar settings and themes. We've put together a list of anime you should check out once you've watched Yasuke, and...
- 4/13/2023
- by Elle Collins
- Slash Film
The one anime series that I'm most excited about this spring is "Skip and Loafer." The source manga tells the tale of Mitsumi Iwakura, an ambitious teenage girl from the country who moves to Tokyo for high school. There she meets the easygoing Sosuke Shima, and the two of them slowly build a close-knit network of friends that includes local mean girl Mika Egashira, bookish Makoto Kurame, and independent-minded Yuzuki Murashige. Each of them is as different as can be, and yet despite bad early impressions, they find a common cause in each other. "Skip and Loafer" is too good-natured to be a "realistic" high school story. But it is successful at evoking the texture of adolescence in its banality, complexity, and sweetness.
"Skip and Loafer" is also the first anime in years to be directed and scripted by the great Kotomi Deai, who has now been active in the...
"Skip and Loafer" is also the first anime in years to be directed and scripted by the great Kotomi Deai, who has now been active in the...
- 3/12/2023
- by Adam Wescott
- Slash Film
Shin’ichirô Watanabe, a key member of the original Cowboy Bebop‘s creative team, has weighed in on Netflix’s recent live-action take — and it’s safe to say he wasn’t a fan.
“For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check. It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue,” said Watanabe, who wrote and directed several episodes of the late-’90s anime series, in a recent Forbes interview. “I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene. It was clearly not Cowboy Bebop,...
“For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check. It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue,” said Watanabe, who wrote and directed several episodes of the late-’90s anime series, in a recent Forbes interview. “I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene. It was clearly not Cowboy Bebop,...
- 1/30/2023
- by Rebecca Iannucci
- TVLine.com
It's been over a year since Netflix's live-action adaptation of "Cowboy Bebop" began then ended, but it was clear the project was a misfire long before now. The series was canceled three weeks after premiere, lightning speed even by Netflix standards. It turns out that one of those disappointed was the anime's primary creator, animation director Shinichirō Watanabe (he and his team are collectively credited as the creator "Hajime Yatate").
Before Netflix's "Cowboy Bebop" premiered, Watanabe revealed he'd been asked for his input: "I read the initial concept and provided my opinions, but I'm not sure if they will be reflected in the final product." He added that his suggestions being ignored would "leave a bad taste in [his] mouth," but to avoid making the crew's jobs tougher, he would simply hope it "turn[ed] out good." His hopes weren't met.
Watanabe recently spoke with Forbes. Topics ranged from how he...
Before Netflix's "Cowboy Bebop" premiered, Watanabe revealed he'd been asked for his input: "I read the initial concept and provided my opinions, but I'm not sure if they will be reflected in the final product." He added that his suggestions being ignored would "leave a bad taste in [his] mouth," but to avoid making the crew's jobs tougher, he would simply hope it "turn[ed] out good." His hopes weren't met.
Watanabe recently spoke with Forbes. Topics ranged from how he...
- 1/28/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Shinichiro Watanabe couldn’t make it past the opening scene of the Netflix live-action adaptation of his anime classic, Cowboy Bebop.
In talking with Forbes, Watanabe said Netflix sent him “a video to review and check.” But he couldn’t bear to see more than a few minutes of it.
“It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue,” Watanabe said. “I stopped there, and so only saw that opening scene. It was clearly not Cowboy Bebop, and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be Cowboy Bebop. I felt that maybe I should have done this. Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now.”
Netflix brought Watanabe into the project as a consultant. But Watanabe claimed in a 2019 interview that any comments he made on the manuscript were likely not heeded.
In talking with Forbes, Watanabe said Netflix sent him “a video to review and check.” But he couldn’t bear to see more than a few minutes of it.
“It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue,” Watanabe said. “I stopped there, and so only saw that opening scene. It was clearly not Cowboy Bebop, and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be Cowboy Bebop. I felt that maybe I should have done this. Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now.”
Netflix brought Watanabe into the project as a consultant. But Watanabe claimed in a 2019 interview that any comments he made on the manuscript were likely not heeded.
- 1/28/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the iconic anime series Cowboy Bebop was heavily hyped prior to its release, but the series received lackluster reviews, and Netflix officially cancelled it soon after. While speaking with Forbes, Shinichiro Watanabe, who directed the original Cowboy Bebop anime series, shared his reaction to the live-action Netflix adaptation.
“For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check,” Watanabe explained. “It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue. I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene. It was clearly not Cowboy Bebop and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be Cowboy Bebop. I felt that maybe I should have done this. Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now.” Many Cowboy Bebop fans had a similar reaction to the Netflix series,...
“For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check,” Watanabe explained. “It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue. I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene. It was clearly not Cowboy Bebop and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be Cowboy Bebop. I felt that maybe I should have done this. Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now.” Many Cowboy Bebop fans had a similar reaction to the Netflix series,...
- 1/27/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Netflix’s 2021 live-action “Cowboy Bebop” remake was canceled after one season and 10 episodes, a big failure for what was supposed to launch a blockbuster new series for the streaming platform. In a new interview with Forbes, Shinichirō Watanabe, who served as the original director of the Japanese anime series, said he stopped watching the live-action Netflix remake after just one scene because it didn’t feel like the anime classic he helped create.
“For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check,” Watanabe said. “It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue. I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene.”
He continued, “It was clearly not ‘Cowboy Bebop’ and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be ‘Cowboy Bebop.’ I felt that maybe I should have done this.
“For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check,” Watanabe said. “It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue. I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene.”
He continued, “It was clearly not ‘Cowboy Bebop’ and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be ‘Cowboy Bebop.’ I felt that maybe I should have done this.
- 1/27/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Right after 3, 2, 1, Shinichiro Watanabe couldn’t go anymore.
The “Cowboy Bebop” anime creator revealed that the Netflix live-action adaptation of the noir series was “tough” to watch. Starring John Cho, the short-lived series was canceled by the streamer three weeks after its premiere in November 2021.
“For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check,” Watanabe told Forbes. “It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue. I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene. It was clearly not ‘Cowboy Bebop’ and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be ‘Cowboy Bebop.'”
He added, “I felt that maybe I should have done this. Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now.”
Billed as not a remake, the series garnered poor reviews.
“Once you have a successful title,...
The “Cowboy Bebop” anime creator revealed that the Netflix live-action adaptation of the noir series was “tough” to watch. Starring John Cho, the short-lived series was canceled by the streamer three weeks after its premiere in November 2021.
“For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check,” Watanabe told Forbes. “It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue. I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene. It was clearly not ‘Cowboy Bebop’ and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be ‘Cowboy Bebop.'”
He added, “I felt that maybe I should have done this. Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now.”
Billed as not a remake, the series garnered poor reviews.
“Once you have a successful title,...
- 1/27/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Series: "Space Dandy"
Where You Can Stream It: Crunchyroll
The Pitch: "It's the new show by Shinichiro Watanabe." That's all people needed to get excited for "Space Dandy," a series pitched as a spiritual successor to anime classics "Cowboy Bebop" and "Samurai Champloo." "Bebop" defined the adolescence of American anime fandom with its stylish, sad storytelling on Adult Swim in 2001. Since then, the runaway success of "Attack on Titan" on streaming services in 2013 transformed anime into an international hitmaker. Popular American cartoons like "Steven Universe" borrowed from anime, and their artists would say as much in interviews. Now one of the medium's greatest producers and auteurs, after years of toil behind the scenes, was ready to blow everybody away with an all-new vision.
The Series: "Space Dandy"
Where You Can Stream It: Crunchyroll
The Pitch: "It's the new show by Shinichiro Watanabe." That's all people needed to get excited for "Space Dandy," a series pitched as a spiritual successor to anime classics "Cowboy Bebop" and "Samurai Champloo." "Bebop" defined the adolescence of American anime fandom with its stylish, sad storytelling on Adult Swim in 2001. Since then, the runaway success of "Attack on Titan" on streaming services in 2013 transformed anime into an international hitmaker. Popular American cartoons like "Steven Universe" borrowed from anime, and their artists would say as much in interviews. Now one of the medium's greatest producers and auteurs, after years of toil behind the scenes, was ready to blow everybody away with an all-new vision.
- 1/15/2023
- by Adam Wescott
- Slash Film
I love anime opening credits. The best of them distill the strongest qualities of their source material into beautiful, ninety-second chunks of music and animation. Even the worst of them churn up love in my heart. I remember almost nothing about "Nobunagun," but I have a special place in my heart for its outrageous hard-rock theme song "Respect for the Dead Man." The opening guitar riff of "Rewrite," Asian Kung-Fu Generation's theme for "Fullmetal Alchemist," brings back vivid memories of my teenage years. I know that I'm not alone on that, either. "A Cruel Angel's Thesis," the theme song to "Neon Genesis Evangelion," topped Joysound's karaoke rankings for the Heisei period (1992-2019.) "Gurenge," the theme song to "Demon Slayer," has been downloaded over a million times and was even featured in Japan's recent Olympics Closing Ceremonies. The right Anisong can make a lot of money.
Anime opening credits are frequently over the top,...
Anime opening credits are frequently over the top,...
- 12/4/2022
- by Adam Wescott
- Slash Film
Shinichirō Watanabe's "Cowboy Bebop" defies genre expectations. It is a sci-fi ballad and a space Western with noir elements, sporting themes that are hopelessly bleak and existentialist. The anime's protagonist, Spike Spiegel, is not your conventional hero: he's a green-haired space cowboy who puts his life on the line to put food on the table, with a "whatever happens, happens" attitude to help him stumble through life. The rest of the characters struggle to figure out their place in a dystopian, fragmented world, where everyone is out to achieve their goals, no matter the cost.
The sprawling, diverse world of "Cowboy Bebop" is perhaps the anime's greatest strength, as it functions as more than a mere backdrop to a compelling story with relatable characters. Most importantly, Watanabe was able to portray the complexities of human nature while merging it with futuristic aesthetics that are not solely ornamental. There's the thrill of bounty hunting,...
The sprawling, diverse world of "Cowboy Bebop" is perhaps the anime's greatest strength, as it functions as more than a mere backdrop to a compelling story with relatable characters. Most importantly, Watanabe was able to portray the complexities of human nature while merging it with futuristic aesthetics that are not solely ornamental. There's the thrill of bounty hunting,...
- 10/2/2022
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
No one expected "Cowboy Bebop" to be a major success — especially not the people that were bankrolling the production. The series creators actually stretched their budget so thin that they angered executives and shareholders. The studio was concerned that "Bebop" wouldn't resonate with enough viewers, and even the show's animator and director Shin'ichirô Watanabe didn't expect it to take off. Despite the lack of faith in the project, it would become one of the most globally beloved animes of all time.
"Cowboy Bebop" was born from a meeting between Watanabe and Masahiko Minami, who would later become the show's producer. "[Minami] approached me to ask if I had any good ideas for a new project," Watanabe recalled to Otaquest. "After about 2-3 days of deliberating, something I had thrown together over the course of an hour known only as 'Bebop' surfaced."
The series originally got its funding from an unexpected source — the Japanese toy company,...
"Cowboy Bebop" was born from a meeting between Watanabe and Masahiko Minami, who would later become the show's producer. "[Minami] approached me to ask if I had any good ideas for a new project," Watanabe recalled to Otaquest. "After about 2-3 days of deliberating, something I had thrown together over the course of an hour known only as 'Bebop' surfaced."
The series originally got its funding from an unexpected source — the Japanese toy company,...
- 10/1/2022
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
Without the music of Yoko Kanno, it is safe to say that the world of "Cowboy Bebop" would not be nearly as memorable. Sure, the story of a band of misfits traveling the galaxy is already an exciting premise. However, the composer's music made the episodes come to life in ways that the animation alone cannot accomplish.
Shinichirō Watanabe always knew that Kanno was the one for this genre-bending series, even if she initially wasn't a big fan of jazz, the primary genre of music he had in mind for "Bebop." In an interview with otaku website OTAQuest, the director revealed that her eventually agreeing to compose a jazz score set the tone for the entire series.
"If things really did go that way, and she wasn't involved, then 'Tank!' would have never seen the light of day, and 'Cowboy Bebop' may never have realized its full potential,...
Shinichirō Watanabe always knew that Kanno was the one for this genre-bending series, even if she initially wasn't a big fan of jazz, the primary genre of music he had in mind for "Bebop." In an interview with otaku website OTAQuest, the director revealed that her eventually agreeing to compose a jazz score set the tone for the entire series.
"If things really did go that way, and she wasn't involved, then 'Tank!' would have never seen the light of day, and 'Cowboy Bebop' may never have realized its full potential,...
- 9/26/2022
- by Erin Brady
- Slash Film
"Cowboy Bebop" may be the most classically cinematic anime out there. The gun-toting, cigarette-smoking main character resembles hard-boiled noir stars like Humphrey Bogart and Western icons like John Wayne. But those weren't the only classic film genres that inspired the creators of "Cowboy Bebop." The 20th episode of the series, "Pierrot le Fou," was named after the 1965 film from French New Wave director Jean-luc Godard. The episode also pays tribute to the films of Jean-Pierre Melville, specifically "Le Samouraï" and "Le Cercle Rouge," among other French New Wave classics.
Episode 20 was always my favorite "Bebop" episode. The villain is a superhuman assassin that has regressed to a child-like mental state. He is impossible to kill but, once wounded, devolves into hysterics. "Episode 20 is a weird one to like," the series director Shinichiro Watanabe admitted (via SakuraBlog). "I guess French people live up to their reputation of being odd." Watanabe concedes...
Episode 20 was always my favorite "Bebop" episode. The villain is a superhuman assassin that has regressed to a child-like mental state. He is impossible to kill but, once wounded, devolves into hysterics. "Episode 20 is a weird one to like," the series director Shinichiro Watanabe admitted (via SakuraBlog). "I guess French people live up to their reputation of being odd." Watanabe concedes...
- 9/26/2022
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
Part of the tragedy of "Cowboy Bebop" is how the main characters are so weighed down by their pasts that they're unable to live in the present. The creative team behind the classic anime series didn't share this attitude though. When making the series, "Hajime Yatate" (their collective pseudonym) were all focused on the present, not what lay behind or ahead of them.
Series director Shinichirō Watanabe and producer Masahiko Minami discussed their episode-by-episode attitude at a roundtable for the show's 20th anniversary, held at French convention Japan Expo 2018. Watannabe recounted (transcribed by SakuraBlog):
"I had an episodic series in mind from the get-go. I wanted every episode to feel fresh. And all the aforementioned problems we encountered only reinforced that vision of the series I had... But we still needed a thread, albeit thin, common to all episodes for the setting, world elements, characters, etc."
Those thin threads wound up being (a.
Series director Shinichirō Watanabe and producer Masahiko Minami discussed their episode-by-episode attitude at a roundtable for the show's 20th anniversary, held at French convention Japan Expo 2018. Watannabe recounted (transcribed by SakuraBlog):
"I had an episodic series in mind from the get-go. I wanted every episode to feel fresh. And all the aforementioned problems we encountered only reinforced that vision of the series I had... But we still needed a thread, albeit thin, common to all episodes for the setting, world elements, characters, etc."
Those thin threads wound up being (a.
- 9/26/2022
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
How long will you stick with a new TV show before dropping it? According to acclaimed Japanese anime director Shinichirō Watanabe, the answer for most people is five episodes. He was sure to keep this in mind when heading the production team for "Cowboy Bebop" at animation studio Sunrise.
In "Cowboy Bebop," episodes are called "sessions," a reflection of Yoko Kanno's jazz-flavored score and how important music is to the show's identity. The first session, "Asteroid Blues," has some vague flashes of protagonist Spike Spiegel's past. However, for the most part, the first four sessions are standalone vehicles for introducing the show's primary characters. Session 5, "Ballad of Fallen Angels," is when things start to heat up and Spike's past comes to the forefront.
Watanabe bet a lot on session #5 by pulling back the curtain. In what might be an inside joke about these high stakes, Faye Valentine discovers...
In "Cowboy Bebop," episodes are called "sessions," a reflection of Yoko Kanno's jazz-flavored score and how important music is to the show's identity. The first session, "Asteroid Blues," has some vague flashes of protagonist Spike Spiegel's past. However, for the most part, the first four sessions are standalone vehicles for introducing the show's primary characters. Session 5, "Ballad of Fallen Angels," is when things start to heat up and Spike's past comes to the forefront.
Watanabe bet a lot on session #5 by pulling back the curtain. In what might be an inside joke about these high stakes, Faye Valentine discovers...
- 9/26/2022
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
"I felt like I was watching a dream I could never wake up from. Before I knew it, the dream was over."
These words, spoken by Spike Spiegel in Shinichirō Watanabe's genre-hybrid anime series, "Cowboy Bebop," form the crux of his character. Apart from being one of the primary protagonists of the series, Spike is the heart of "Cowboy Bebop," as his troubled nonchalance reinforces several themes in Watanabe's classic. The green-haired space cowboy undergoes quite the personal journey, in which he is forced to confront his murky past and dance with his own demons. This makes Spike Spiegel an extremely beloved character, and his fate at the end of "Cowboy Bebop" is still a topic of heated discussion for long-time fans of the anime.
But how did Watanabe come up with such a compelling character to begin with? In order to understand this, let's take a quick...
These words, spoken by Spike Spiegel in Shinichirō Watanabe's genre-hybrid anime series, "Cowboy Bebop," form the crux of his character. Apart from being one of the primary protagonists of the series, Spike is the heart of "Cowboy Bebop," as his troubled nonchalance reinforces several themes in Watanabe's classic. The green-haired space cowboy undergoes quite the personal journey, in which he is forced to confront his murky past and dance with his own demons. This makes Spike Spiegel an extremely beloved character, and his fate at the end of "Cowboy Bebop" is still a topic of heated discussion for long-time fans of the anime.
But how did Watanabe come up with such a compelling character to begin with? In order to understand this, let's take a quick...
- 9/4/2022
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
If you were an unsuspecting late-night Cartoon Network viewer in 2001, you likely witnessed the birth of "Adult Swim." And, if you were there, then it is safe to say that one of your formative introductions to anime involved some loud horns blaring at the stroke of midnight, followed by the funkiest bass strings you'd ever heard. That's when you knew, deep down, that something different was happening.
"Cowboy Bebop" is, without question, one of the most highly regarded anime series of all time. With its rugged, quirky characters, fantastic animation, and epic score, the show has served as a welcome introduction to anime for many fans. Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, "Cowboy Bebop" follows a crew of intergalactic bounty hunters as they travel across the galaxy aboard their ship, the Bebop, collecting bounties for the Inter Solar System Police. These assignments frequently land the team in chaotic situations that see their...
"Cowboy Bebop" is, without question, one of the most highly regarded anime series of all time. With its rugged, quirky characters, fantastic animation, and epic score, the show has served as a welcome introduction to anime for many fans. Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, "Cowboy Bebop" follows a crew of intergalactic bounty hunters as they travel across the galaxy aboard their ship, the Bebop, collecting bounties for the Inter Solar System Police. These assignments frequently land the team in chaotic situations that see their...
- 8/26/2022
- by Rafiq Taylor
- Slash Film
Streaming
The U.K.’s ITV has signed an agreement with Glaswegian-based Anime Ltd, the largest independent anime licensor in the U.K., which will make its upcoming streamer Itvx the free-to-air home of 500 episodes and 200 hours of anime television series and films. The collection will include “Escaflowne,” “Lupin III Part 6,” “Megalobox,” Shinichiro Watanabe’s “Cowboy Bebop” and Hideaki Anno’s “Gunbuster.”
An additional deal involves the launch of True Crime U.K. from CBS Reality. Drawing from the library of CBS Reality, the factual entertainment channel in the U.K. popular amongst adult women, the service will provide Itvx with an additional 200 hours of true crime content at launch, and a further 50 hours in 2023. Titles include “Descent of a Serial Killer,” four series presented by renowned investigative journalist and criminologist Donal MacIntyre, two series of “The Real Prime Suspect” hosted by former detective Jackie Malton, the inspiration behind drama series “Prime Suspect,...
The U.K.’s ITV has signed an agreement with Glaswegian-based Anime Ltd, the largest independent anime licensor in the U.K., which will make its upcoming streamer Itvx the free-to-air home of 500 episodes and 200 hours of anime television series and films. The collection will include “Escaflowne,” “Lupin III Part 6,” “Megalobox,” Shinichiro Watanabe’s “Cowboy Bebop” and Hideaki Anno’s “Gunbuster.”
An additional deal involves the launch of True Crime U.K. from CBS Reality. Drawing from the library of CBS Reality, the factual entertainment channel in the U.K. popular amongst adult women, the service will provide Itvx with an additional 200 hours of true crime content at launch, and a further 50 hours in 2023. Titles include “Descent of a Serial Killer,” four series presented by renowned investigative journalist and criminologist Donal MacIntyre, two series of “The Real Prime Suspect” hosted by former detective Jackie Malton, the inspiration behind drama series “Prime Suspect,...
- 7/22/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Warning: Major spoilers ahead for the ending of the original "Cowboy Bebop."
Shinichirō Watanabe's "Cowboy Bebop" offers an experience like no other — it is a genre hybrid exploration of the lives of four bounty hunters who cannot help but carry the unbearable weight of the past. As a result, the present, which is ever-fluctuating and volatile, becomes almost devoid of meaning, especially for our green-haired protagonist, Spike Spiegel.
While "Cowboy Bebop" has been about many things — adventures in space, camaraderie, and facing your inner demons — the anime is primarily centered on Spike's tussle with the past, and how it bogs...
The post Even the Team Behind Cowboy Bebop Pushed Back On Its Ending appeared first on /Film.
Shinichirō Watanabe's "Cowboy Bebop" offers an experience like no other — it is a genre hybrid exploration of the lives of four bounty hunters who cannot help but carry the unbearable weight of the past. As a result, the present, which is ever-fluctuating and volatile, becomes almost devoid of meaning, especially for our green-haired protagonist, Spike Spiegel.
While "Cowboy Bebop" has been about many things — adventures in space, camaraderie, and facing your inner demons — the anime is primarily centered on Spike's tussle with the past, and how it bogs...
The post Even the Team Behind Cowboy Bebop Pushed Back On Its Ending appeared first on /Film.
- 6/10/2022
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
Anime fans are familiar with Shinichiro Watanabe from his renowned work on Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, but his latest creation helps bridge the gap between Ridley Scott's Blade Runner and Denis Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049, and you can watch it right now before the new Blade Runner movie comes out in theaters this October.
Black Out 2022 synopsis: "In 2022, an Emp detonation has caused a global blackout that has massive, destructive implications all over the world. Directed by Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo's Shinichiro Watanabe, Blade Runner Black Out 2022 is a new and highly-anticipated animated short which serves as a prologue for the upcoming feature film Blade Runner 2049."
Blade Runner 2049 synopsis: "Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, Lapd Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos.
Black Out 2022 synopsis: "In 2022, an Emp detonation has caused a global blackout that has massive, destructive implications all over the world. Directed by Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo's Shinichiro Watanabe, Blade Runner Black Out 2022 is a new and highly-anticipated animated short which serves as a prologue for the upcoming feature film Blade Runner 2049."
Blade Runner 2049 synopsis: "Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, Lapd Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos.
- 9/29/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
The third 'Blade Runner' anime short film 'Blade Runner 2022: Lights Out' is below for you to watch directed by 'Cowboy Bebop' director Shinichirô Watanabe.
'Blade Runner 2022: Lights Out' deals with a Emp detonation which causes a global blackout that has massive, destructive implications all over the world. Meanwhile the battle against man and machine catches on fire as the Nexus 6 model is discontinued for the advanced Nexus 8.
The two live action shorts can be viewed in the links provided: 'Nexus: 2036' & 'Nowhere to Run'
'Blade Runner 2049' opens October 6.
'Blade Runner 2022: Lights Out' deals with a Emp detonation which causes a global blackout that has massive, destructive implications all over the world. Meanwhile the battle against man and machine catches on fire as the Nexus 6 model is discontinued for the advanced Nexus 8.
The two live action shorts can be viewed in the links provided: 'Nexus: 2036' & 'Nowhere to Run'
'Blade Runner 2049' opens October 6.
- 9/29/2017
- by noreply@blogger.com (Flicks News)
- FlicksNews.net
Black Out 2022 Short Film Shinichiro Watanabe‘s Black Out 2022 (2017) short film stars Jovan Jackson, Luci Christian, Beyson Bauguss, Edward James Olmos, and Adam Gibbs. Black Out 2022‘s plot synopsis: As a prologue to Blade Runner 2049, “In 2022, an Emp detonation has caused a global blackout that has massive, destructive implications all over [...]
Continue reading: Black Out 2022 Short Film: Replicants Wipeout Electricity in Blade Runner 2049 Prequel...
Continue reading: Black Out 2022 Short Film: Replicants Wipeout Electricity in Blade Runner 2049 Prequel...
- 9/28/2017
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
The last ‘Blade Runner 2049’ prequel short film has arrived, and it’s absolutely beautiful. ‘Blade Runner Black Out 2022‘ is the third and final short to arrive after both the stellar ‘2036: Nexus Dawn‘ and ‘2048: Nowhere to Run’. Although these shorts gave us some insight into Niander Wallace (Jared Leto) and Sapper Morton’s (Dave Bautista) backstories, this third animated short film actually delves into the backstory of the new Nexus 8 Replicants, and the resulting human revolt that happens because of their creation.
The 15-minute film is directed by Shinichiro Watanabe (best known for his work on ‘Cowboy Bebop.’) The prequel short takes place in 2022, three years after the events of the original ‘Blade Runner‘, and chronicles “The Great Blackout of 2022”, and event that seemingly set many of the film’s plot points into motion. According to the official Blade Runner website:
An electromagnetic pulse (Emp) of unknown origin...
The 15-minute film is directed by Shinichiro Watanabe (best known for his work on ‘Cowboy Bebop.’) The prequel short takes place in 2022, three years after the events of the original ‘Blade Runner‘, and chronicles “The Great Blackout of 2022”, and event that seemingly set many of the film’s plot points into motion. According to the official Blade Runner website:
An electromagnetic pulse (Emp) of unknown origin...
- 9/27/2017
- by Taylor Salan
- Age of the Nerd
Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture: Short Movie of the Day: The third official Blade Runner 2049 prequel short, an anime film by Shinichiro Watanabe titled Black Out 2022, has arrived: Video Essay of the Day: Also in anticipation of Blade Runner 2049, Luis Azevedo created this look at AI in the movies for Little White Lies: Screenwriting Lesson of the Day: Speaking of Blade Runner, Lessons from the Screenplay examines the future noir genre and Blade Runner's script specifically: Vintage Image of the Day: This week, singer/actor Meat Loaf turns 70, so here's a beautiful image of him and Edward Norton from the 1999 movie Fight...
Read More...
Read More...
- 9/27/2017
- by Christopher Campbell
- Movies.com
The final Blade Runner 2049 short film has been released and you're gonna love it! It's a beautifully made action-packed anime short called Blade Runner: Black Out 2022. It was created by Samurai Champloo and Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe.
This series of shorts fills us in on some of the key events that happen between the events of the original film set in 2019 and the upcoming sequel set in 2049. This one is set in 2022 and tells the story of a brief replicant rebellion. This uprising resulted in the replicants production being banned for a decade.
The tensions between humans and replicants reached a boiling point when humans began to hunt replicants down using the Replicant Registry so they could kill them. We get to see the intensity of this in the short. To get back at them, a sympathetic human named Ren teams up with Trixie, and a few...
This series of shorts fills us in on some of the key events that happen between the events of the original film set in 2019 and the upcoming sequel set in 2049. This one is set in 2022 and tells the story of a brief replicant rebellion. This uprising resulted in the replicants production being banned for a decade.
The tensions between humans and replicants reached a boiling point when humans began to hunt replicants down using the Replicant Registry so they could kill them. We get to see the intensity of this in the short. To get back at them, a sympathetic human named Ren teams up with Trixie, and a few...
- 9/26/2017
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
The third and last prequel short leading up to Denis Villeneuve‘s Blade Runner 2049 is out, and it’s a gorgeous testament to the boundless possibilities of anime. Directed by Samurai Champloo and Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe, the short — in addition to the other two previously released shorts focusing on different time periods — helps fill in the […]
The post Watch: ‘Blade Runner Black Out 2022’ Anime Short Film Is Stunning appeared first on /Film.
The post Watch: ‘Blade Runner Black Out 2022’ Anime Short Film Is Stunning appeared first on /Film.
- 9/26/2017
- by Hoai-Tran Bui
- Slash Film
According to studio reports, writer/director Shinichiro Watanabe ("Cowboy Bebop") is working on the animated film "Blade Runner: Blackout 2022", as a prequel to "Blade Runner: 2049":
"...director Shinichiro Watanabe ('Cowboy Bebop', 'Samurai Champloo') is directing an animated tie-in to the 'Blade Runner 2049' film, which opens in Japan on October 27.
"The new film is titled 'Blade Runner Black Out 2022'.
"The anime is set in the year 2022, between the original 'Blade Runner' film in 2019, and its sequel 'Blade Runner 2049', with a story involvong a major power outage on the west coast of the Us..."
Cygames Pictures, the anime studio subsidiary and smartphone games publisher is producing the film with Shukou Murase ('Halo Legends') as character designer/animation director and Flying Lotus composing the music.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Blade Runner...
"...director Shinichiro Watanabe ('Cowboy Bebop', 'Samurai Champloo') is directing an animated tie-in to the 'Blade Runner 2049' film, which opens in Japan on October 27.
"The new film is titled 'Blade Runner Black Out 2022'.
"The anime is set in the year 2022, between the original 'Blade Runner' film in 2019, and its sequel 'Blade Runner 2049', with a story involvong a major power outage on the west coast of the Us..."
Cygames Pictures, the anime studio subsidiary and smartphone games publisher is producing the film with Shukou Murase ('Halo Legends') as character designer/animation director and Flying Lotus composing the music.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Blade Runner...
- 9/16/2017
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Earlier this morning, Sony Pictures Japan unveiled a sneak peak at a new Blade Runner anime short from Shinichiro Watanabe, the director of Cowboy Beebop and Samurai Champloo. Entitled Blade Runner Black Out 2020, the events of the animation take place several years after the first film and, according to Netlab, takes place during a power outage. The video in which Wantanabe speaks on some of the details of the... Read More...
- 9/15/2017
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
It's been revealed that Blade Runner 2049 is getting an animated prequel short film called Blade Runner Black Out 2022. The short is being created by Shinichiro Watanabe who is best known for his work on Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo.
Sony Pictures Japan even shared a sneak peek that you can watch below that shows you the work that is being done for the film. It includes some cool concept art, character designs, and some early footage. It looks pretty rad!
The story is set a few years after the first movie and according to Kotaku, the film is set during a power outage. The sneak peek is in Japanese, but Watanabe talks about the influence that Blade Runner has had on him saying:
“The work that has influenced me the most in my anime profession would be, of course, Blade Runner.”
He also says that when making the short...
Sony Pictures Japan even shared a sneak peek that you can watch below that shows you the work that is being done for the film. It includes some cool concept art, character designs, and some early footage. It looks pretty rad!
The story is set a few years after the first movie and according to Kotaku, the film is set during a power outage. The sneak peek is in Japanese, but Watanabe talks about the influence that Blade Runner has had on him saying:
“The work that has influenced me the most in my anime profession would be, of course, Blade Runner.”
He also says that when making the short...
- 9/15/2017
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Shinichiro Watanabe who created some of the most renowned anime series like 'Cowboy Bebop' and 'Samurai Champloo,' is directing a short Blade Runner anime. The short 'Blade Runner Black Out 2022' takes place a few years after the first movie and is set during a power outage.
A short clip is below, 'Blade Eunner 2049' is scheduled to be released globally October 6, 2017.
Update: The Short Can Be Viewed Here...
A short clip is below, 'Blade Eunner 2049' is scheduled to be released globally October 6, 2017.
Update: The Short Can Be Viewed Here...
- 9/15/2017
- by noreply@blogger.com (Flicks News)
- FlicksNews.net
The gap between 2019 and 2049 will be bridged thanks to an original anime film from Shinichiro Watanabe that connects Ridley Scott's Blade Runner and Denis Villeneuve's highly-anticipated sequel.
- 9/15/2017
- ComicBookMovie.com
Kirsten Howard Oct 4, 2017
Denis Villeneuve's glorious Blade Runner sequel will arrive in cinemas everywhere tomorrow. Here's one last trailer for the film...
35 years after Ridley Scott's groundbreaking sci-fi classic, Ryan Gosling will star as Officer K opposite Harrison Ford's Deckard in Blade Runner 2049 - and plenty of reviewers have already labelled the long-awaited sequel a masterpiece.
See related DC Comics movies: upcoming UK release dates calendar Batman V Superman: where does it leave the Justice League? Batman V Superman: Michael Shannon fell asleep watching it Zack Snyder interview: Batman V Superman
Before the film starts its wide release tomorrow, we've all got one more chance to get excited by a glimpse at what's in store with a brand new, and final, trailer.
Watch it below...
And you can read our own five star review right here.
Three prequel shorts have also blessed us ahead of the film's release.
Denis Villeneuve's glorious Blade Runner sequel will arrive in cinemas everywhere tomorrow. Here's one last trailer for the film...
35 years after Ridley Scott's groundbreaking sci-fi classic, Ryan Gosling will star as Officer K opposite Harrison Ford's Deckard in Blade Runner 2049 - and plenty of reviewers have already labelled the long-awaited sequel a masterpiece.
See related DC Comics movies: upcoming UK release dates calendar Batman V Superman: where does it leave the Justice League? Batman V Superman: Michael Shannon fell asleep watching it Zack Snyder interview: Batman V Superman
Before the film starts its wide release tomorrow, we've all got one more chance to get excited by a glimpse at what's in store with a brand new, and final, trailer.
Watch it below...
And you can read our own five star review right here.
Three prequel shorts have also blessed us ahead of the film's release.
- 1/30/2017
- Den of Geek
Gotta love a good old-fashioned Western. It’s a genre that’s been an American staple for decades. The image of the lone gunslinger is one that’s inspired countless novels, films, comics, and TV shows — and it’s one that’s bound to continue to do so for countless years. Though while as kids the genre may have been synonymous with fun adventure, the reality is that the majority of these flicks are slow, meditative character studies.
That’s all well and good, but I’m gonna chuck every one of those movies out the window today. You won’t find me talking about The Assassination of Jesse James, Once Upon A Time In The West, or The Unforgiven here. Granted, I acknowledge the quality of those films, but today, I wanted to highlight a handful of flicks that may be more in line with what we’ll be...
That’s all well and good, but I’m gonna chuck every one of those movies out the window today. You won’t find me talking about The Assassination of Jesse James, Once Upon A Time In The West, or The Unforgiven here. Granted, I acknowledge the quality of those films, but today, I wanted to highlight a handful of flicks that may be more in line with what we’ll be...
- 9/22/2016
- by Joseph Medina
- LRMonline.com
Sci-fi anime space opera Space Dandy is on UK Netflix now. Ryan explains why it’s essential viewing, and shares his favourite episodes...
Continuity. Character arcs. Sub-plots and cliffhangers. They’re the bones on which a lot of great TV’s draped - the elements that have us rushing back to our favourite shows week after week, whether it’s House Of Cards, Attack On Titan or Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.
But can a TV show blithely shun things like continuity and recognisable character arcs and still provide something reliably amusing, thrilling, even moving? Space Dandy, the animated series from Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Shamploo director Shinichiro Watanabe, plays fast and loose with the episodic TV format, frequently giving continuity short shrift, yet the result is one of the most fascinating anime shows I’ve seen in years.
To quote the opening credits sequence, Space Dandy is a dandy in space: a preening,...
Continuity. Character arcs. Sub-plots and cliffhangers. They’re the bones on which a lot of great TV’s draped - the elements that have us rushing back to our favourite shows week after week, whether it’s House Of Cards, Attack On Titan or Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.
But can a TV show blithely shun things like continuity and recognisable character arcs and still provide something reliably amusing, thrilling, even moving? Space Dandy, the animated series from Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Shamploo director Shinichiro Watanabe, plays fast and loose with the episodic TV format, frequently giving continuity short shrift, yet the result is one of the most fascinating anime shows I’ve seen in years.
To quote the opening credits sequence, Space Dandy is a dandy in space: a preening,...
- 4/14/2015
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Japanese Anime Kill La Kill kicked into a whole new gear in 2014. We salute a daring, daft series available now on Netflix...
Kill La Kill. Regardless of what it means - allegedly it’s a series of Japanese double-entendres - that title is a bomb-blast: two kills and a dose of French sophistication for good measure. It's a violently amusing name for the anime series, promising claret by the bucketload, a ticking brain (or just the right amount of snark) and the everlasting appeal of total nonsense. Logic may apply, be it worldly or otherwise, but you're already set for the rules to be broken.
Despite airing its first half of episodes last year, Klk kicked into a whole other gear in 2014, garnering a large international following as it barrelled towards its March finale. The entire series is currently bubbling away on Netflix for immediate watching, and it is something...
Kill La Kill. Regardless of what it means - allegedly it’s a series of Japanese double-entendres - that title is a bomb-blast: two kills and a dose of French sophistication for good measure. It's a violently amusing name for the anime series, promising claret by the bucketload, a ticking brain (or just the right amount of snark) and the everlasting appeal of total nonsense. Logic may apply, be it worldly or otherwise, but you're already set for the rules to be broken.
Despite airing its first half of episodes last year, Klk kicked into a whole other gear in 2014, garnering a large international following as it barrelled towards its March finale. The entire series is currently bubbling away on Netflix for immediate watching, and it is something...
- 1/1/2015
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Four seasons in, The Legend Of Korra still manages to surprise its audience. Here's Kaci's review of Kuvira's Gambit...
This review contains spoilers.
4.11 Kuvira's Gambit
There are a lot of words I shouted at my screen during this week's Legend Of Korra, most of which I will not repeat in a review for what is ostensibly a children's show, but every single one of them came from a place of sheer disbelief at what I was seeing. A happy disbelief, if such a thing is possible, because it's four seasons in and this show manages to surprise me even now. I couldn't have predicted much of this episode, and even if I could've, I don't think I would've imagined it as great as it was.
Team Beifong arrives safe and sound to Republic City, leading to the reunion between Varrick and Zhu Li. But the truly great thing about it...
This review contains spoilers.
4.11 Kuvira's Gambit
There are a lot of words I shouted at my screen during this week's Legend Of Korra, most of which I will not repeat in a review for what is ostensibly a children's show, but every single one of them came from a place of sheer disbelief at what I was seeing. A happy disbelief, if such a thing is possible, because it's four seasons in and this show manages to surprise me even now. I couldn't have predicted much of this episode, and even if I could've, I don't think I would've imagined it as great as it was.
Team Beifong arrives safe and sound to Republic City, leading to the reunion between Varrick and Zhu Li. But the truly great thing about it...
- 12/14/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
This week's The Legend Of Korra episode is simultaneously tense and also very funny. Here's Kaci's impressed review...
This review contains spoilers.
4.6 Battle Of Zaofu
This week's episode of Legend Of Korra manages to be somehow even more tense than the previous one, despite such a feat seeming to be against the laws of nature. The writing is once again so tight that you feel like you're holding your breath the entire time.
The plot is once again relatively simple: Su and two of her sons are captured while trying to invade Kuvira's camp, which forces Korra's hand and leads to a showdown between the two. Kuvira turns out to be more than a match for Korra, which forces her to use the Avatar State... only for her Ptsd to rear its head at the worst possible moment and lead to her defeat. Korra escapes with the Airbenders at the last moment,...
This review contains spoilers.
4.6 Battle Of Zaofu
This week's episode of Legend Of Korra manages to be somehow even more tense than the previous one, despite such a feat seeming to be against the laws of nature. The writing is once again so tight that you feel like you're holding your breath the entire time.
The plot is once again relatively simple: Su and two of her sons are captured while trying to invade Kuvira's camp, which forces Korra's hand and leads to a showdown between the two. Kuvira turns out to be more than a match for Korra, which forces her to use the Avatar State... only for her Ptsd to rear its head at the worst possible moment and lead to her defeat. Korra escapes with the Airbenders at the last moment,...
- 11/10/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
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