Animal Logic Entertainment (“The Lego Movie”) has partnered with Japan’s Tezuka Productions to develop “Astro Boy” as a live-action feature film.
The move, announced Wednesday, comes six years after Imagi Animation Studios released “Astro Boy” as a $65 million CGI film, based on the mangas and anime series by Osamu Tezuka and voiced by Freddie Highmore. Worldwide grosses hit $40 million.
Astro Boy first appeared in a Japanese manga series from 1951 to 1968, selling over 100 million manga copies worldwide. The character was also turned into TV series in 1980 and 2003.
The feature will be produced by Zareh Nalbandian from Animal Logic, with Jason Lust as executive producer along with Mike Callaghan and Reuben Liber from Ranger 7 Films.
“It’s going to be a blast relaunching Astro Boy as a robot superhero for the new millennium,” Nalbandian said. “Known and loved universally, Astro is the embodiment of wish fulfillment for young and old, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to become a part of his iconic legacy.”
Animal Logic’s credits on design, animation and visual effects include “The Lego Movie,” “Happy Feet,” “The Great Gatsby,” “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and “300.” It’s currently in production on “Lego Ninjago,” “Lego Batman” and Chen Kaige’s “The Monk.”
Animal Logic is represented by CAA.
