Another anime series (Full Metal Panic!) going live action ...

[X-Ray]

Link.

Mandalay nabs rights to 'Full Metal Panic'

Mandalay Pictures has acquired theatrical rights to and will develop a big-screen version of "Full Metal Panic," a Japanese manga series that blends action, comedy and high school romance.

The property derives from writer Shoji Gatoh's series about a teenage anti-terrorist commando named Sousuke Sagara who is given the mission to protect a high-school girl with mystical powers.

"Panic," which is set in a world almost exclusively without adults, is known for mixing visceral action with wry comedy.

Zac Efron's name has surfaced in connection with "Panic," with the actor holding a conversation on the project. Efron, already a heartthrob among the teen audiences to whom the project could appeal, is also honing the action-adventure side of his career with a potential attachment to the Warner Bros. adventure "Jonny Quest."

He's next up in "17 Again," the upcoming New Line movie about an adult who goes back to high-school to rewrite his life.

Mandalay, which counts the environmental drama "Peaceable Kingdom" among its projects, has a first-look deal at Universal but has not yet set up "Panic" at a studio.

Born as a serialized novel from Gatoh and the illustrator Shiki Douji, "Panic" was developed in the early 2000's as a Japanese anime by the Asian firm Kyoto Animation and eventually also yielded a spinoff series.

An English-language version was produced and released in the U.S. on home video by ADV Films.
Mandalay nabs rights to 'Full Metal Panic'
Japanese manga series blends action, comedy

By Steven Zeitchik

I love FMP. I just really hate the idea of Efron having any part do with this movie.

 

[x-fan]

I also hate the idea of him, but for fun since the people making this will never come here to see who we would actually want in the parts, lets cast it our selves. Someone else start i'll need to research my potential actors lol.

 

[jnmx2000]

ughhhhh I love this show, why do they have to do this. I don't see zak in this role, I could see levitt maybe. shia labouf would be better too. problem is, outside of tv, how many young 20 something actors are there? I think I would be happy with the kid from never back down, maybe both of them, the rivals, playing opposite each other. the kid that looks like tom cruise could play sagura, and maybe cam could play the blonde haired guy? that's about all I got lol

 

[Sawyer]

When are they going to realize that, unless you're the Wachowski brothers, live action anime is a complete failure?!

 

[TheVileOne]

I ****ing hate that HR who says the story takes place IN A WORLD EXCLUSIVELY WITHOUT ADULTS. That's ****ing ******** and it is a bald faced lie. Stupid ****ing Hollywood writers that don't know jack ****, don't check their facts or do their research.

Zac Efron as Sousuke? Are you ****ing kidding me? They already want to white wash this story.

 

[Red Mask]

You'd think those morons would at least have chosen something easier to translate, like Fullmetal Alchemist. Oh wait, a new TV series is now being broadcast. Screw Hollywood.

 

[oakzap425]

Naruto is next. Believe it.

 

[x-fan]

For Dragonball, i wasn't too concerned that Goku wasn't asian since he is an alien in the anime. Here though Sousuke, needs to be asian, shoot the whole cast does seeing how the school they go to is an asian school, outfits and all.

 

[TheVileOne]

Dragon Ball bombed. The casting was ******, but whatever.

None of the supporters for DBE have a leg to stand on anymore.

 

[terry78]

Naruto is next. Believe it.

You have to admit Efron does have that Shojo look to him.

 

[GhostPoet]

Where's my live action Tsubasa??

 

[Sawyer]

Dragon Ball bombed. The casting was ******, but whatever.

None of the supporters for DBE have a leg to stand on anymore.

I just feel bad for James Marsters...

Why, James, WHY?!

 

[BloodyWolverine]

I actually feel Chatwin, Marsters and Chow Yung Fat were the only ones giving effort in the film. The cast was not what cripple Dragonball it was the story being differant and run time. The effects weren't so bad. I always believed that Full Metal Alchimist, Outlaw Star and Inuyasha and Yo Yo Hakusho would be the easier cartoons tooa dapt more so then DBZ cause cartoon wise its really out there.

 

[TheVileOne]

James Marsters is a single father and he has to eat. Convention appearances must not pay well.

 

[Lycosyncer]

I really don't want Zac Efron to play Sousuke because I don't feel that he could do the character justice and plus, those rumors that he'll be playing Light Yagami in a confirmed future live action Death Note remake in the future doesn't make that better for me.

Okay here's my assessment. Take note I only have seen the first season but I'm planning to get Fumoffu and The Second Raid. I also read a few synopsis of the original light novel (which I consider the superior version of FMP btw). I'm going to use Japanese actors because race is proven to be an important factor in the story.

Plus, they can't use the "more diverse than the original" excuse that happened with TLA for this one because the original series did quite well on its own for it. Besides, the original FMP franchise has a good number of non-Asian characters playing important roles in the series (Tessa, Leonard, Weber, Kalinin, Mardukas, Gates, etc).

Here's what I think what the cast should be in my opinion...

Sousuke Sagara - There's only one actor who can portray Sousuke (in my opinion anyway) and that's Kenichi Matsuyama who you may remember as L in the Japanese live action Death Note films. He always play characters that are strange and I'm sure his portrayal of the awkward and militaristic Sousuke would be fantastic.

Kaname Chidori - I think Rin Asuka would fit. She is known for portraying Tsundere characters and is quirky enough.

Kurtz Weber - William Mosely would cut it I guess. He's a good actor and I think he can do the ever-goofy Kurtz. Just let his hair grow long and buff up his body a bit and he's fine.

Melissa Mao - Melissa is a tall woman with a built body and is one tough upstanding soldier. I think Kelly Hu would be an excellent choice for her. She looks young enough to portray Mao.

Tessa Testarossa - I say cast an unknown for Tessa.

Kalinin - Cast J.K. Simmons. He's perfect as Kalinin.

Richard Mardukas - I'd pick Willem Dafoe.

Shinji Kazama - I'd cast Goki Maeda. He's known for playing characters that are a bit geeky and meek.

Kyoko Tokikawa - I'd cast Airi Matsumaya. I've seen her act in a few J-dramas and she's quite good.

Gauron - I think Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa can play Gauron. He's good as playing the bad guy and he'll be awesome as the psychotic Gauron.

Director - Ridley Scott. He's good at directing action scenes that are a bit militaristic. Pure grit, no fancy stuff.

Distributors - Well I really don't know about this. I think either Universal or Columbia Pictures but it would be cool if ADV Films/Funimation would get major involvement in the film.

Also I want Hans Zimmerman to do the music and I want the opening theme of the Second Raid to play during the credits.

Well that's all from me and if the casting is like this, I would definitely support it...

 

[Asgard]

Uh, can any of those Japanese actors speak English fluently?

Im pretty sure that if this is going to be a American made movie, its going to feature American or Caucasin actors for the main cast. I havent seen Full Metal Panic, so I dont know if any characters outside of the main guy or girl are supposed to be white.

I wonder why the Japanese haven't made a live action version of this anime yet. I saw the live action movies of Death Note and Great Teacher Onizuka and both were very good. Although I hear that the Death Note movies end differently than the manga or anime versions.

 

[Lycosyncer]

Remember it's just dream casting and it feels rather fitting. By the way, there are Asian-AMERICAN actors out there as well and if they actually did cast Sousuke Sagara and Kaname Chidori with young unknown Asian American teen actors, then I'll be gladly be happy and satisfied to accept them into those main roles.

Justin Chon and Brenda Song are the only currently known Asian American "teen actors" right now and if they managed to get the roles of Sousuke and Kaname respectively, I don't miind if they make them slightly more older and IF they're chosen, then I hope they do the roles justice.

Plus if you actually look at the other characters in the series, there are plenty of non-Asian characters playing key roles in the series. Other popular fan-favorites, Kurz Weber and Tessa Testarossa, are confirmed by the creator that they ARE Caucasian because their both German and Italian American respectively. It makes me wonder whether they'll either whitewash our main Asian characters or replace them with well established Caucasian characters, Kurz and Tessa as the main lead roles. Me personally, I hope that either of them doesn't happen.

If they really want Zac Efron to be in the film, I rather have him as Kurz Weber than Sousuke Sagara. Really, the original series is pretty diverse already and I feel whitewashing the Asian leads feels pointless.

Reason why Japan is not doing this? Budget for one thing and the chance that they'll find Caucasian actors who could speak fluent Japanese is pretty slim. I would love a collaberation between Japan and the US for this project to give it the budget it deserves and it would be great if ADV Films and/or Funimation would get involved since they know the series from top to bottom.

 

[Lycosyncer]

I almost forgot that recently, Efron talked about it and says that it's still early in development and says that the chance of him being cast in the film is highly "unlikely".

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-04-15/efron/not-likely-to-be-in-full-metal-panic-project

Well, I'm kind of relieved about it but then again, the idea that the film is unlikely to happen means that he most likely won't be in it but the live action film adaptation would most likely be in development hell and look how long Watchmen was in development before officially getting the green light.

Plus, the content in the film would prove to be potentially problematic. Weapons in school settings (Columbine, anyone?), terrorism, putting teens in serious peril, and most importantly, the balance of multiple genres that the series is famous for and it's rare that any show or movie can balance it all perfectly well.