Guillermo Del Toro Bringing MONSTER To HBO

[Sawyer]

http://www.deadline.com/2013/04/guillermo-del-toro-is-hatching-a-monster-of-a-series-at-hbo/

Guillermo Del Toro Is Hatching A ‘Monster’ Of A Series At HBO
By MIKE FLEMING JR

EXCLUSIVE: HBO and Guillermo del Toro are teaming on Monster, developing a potential series culled from a series of 18 volumes of Japanese Manga by author Naoki Urasawa published by Shogakukan Inc. Del Toro will co-write the story with Steven Thompson, best known for his work on Dr. Who and Sherlock. Thompson will write the pilot, which del Toro intends to direct. The thriller is about the worldwide search by a young doctor for the most evil sociopath that has ever lived. He is a 12-year old boy, and the doctor’s decision to save his life has unwittingly unleashed a Pandora’s Box that leaves the doc battling to stop a plot of mass genocide. This is certainly a departure for HBO, entering the Manga game, but for del Toro and Thompson, it allows them an incredible sandbox to play in. Del Toro will be executive producer and Thompson co-executive producer, with Angry Films’ partners Don Murphy and Susan Montford executive producing with Exile’s Gary Ungar. Shogakukan will be consulting producer.

This project was originally set at New Line, but proved too sprawling to confined to a feature film. It took del Toro a long time to woo creator Urasawa into being comfortable with Hollywood again, which sounds a lot like the process that D.B. Weiss and David Benioff went through with George R.R. Martin before they could get Game Of Thrones off the ground at HBO.

Speaking of that, Monster reunites del Toro with Murphy and Montford, his accomplices in the attempt to turn the H.P. Lovecraft novella At The Mountains Of Madness into a feature film. That ended with Universal getting very close to production–with del Toro directing and Tom Cruise ready to star–only to call a halt because del Toro would not budge on the possibility that the film might come in with an R rating. Well, I believe the filmmaker has again raised the issue with Universal, after that studio just had a global hit with Cruise in the sci-fi film Oblivion. Now, the R rating might again be a sticking point, but this becomes even more tantalizing if del Toro’s upcoming film Pacific Rim is as big as people suspect it will be this summer for Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures. Those parties are said to be interested if Universal brass is still uncomfortable making a $150 million R-rated 3D movie. Del Toro wouldn’t be able to make until after he directs his ghost story Crimson Peak, but it seems inevitable. It would be nice to see such a creative filmmaker get to make his passion project. Del Toro is repped by WME and Exile.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

I've seen the entire anime adaptation...it's pretty amazing.

Is this actually happening (Del Toro) this time? "Potential series"

 

[childeroland]

Given Dexter's success, this has potential. And maybe it'll encourage Funimation or whoever owns it to issue the whole anime on region 1 DVD.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

As far as conveying and sustaining a sense of tension and dread throughout most of a series goes, the anime was about as good as it possibly can get.

 

[TheWiseGuy487]

Definitely looking forward to this.

Apparently, there's also a film adaptation of Pluto (another Urasawa manga) in the works. It's essentially a retelling of one of the arcs of the original Astro Boy as a modern murder mystery. I'm about seven chapters into the manga and it's very interesting.

Speaking of which, I need to get back to watching the Monster anime again soon.

 

[Tequilla]

This could be amazing. Urasawa is quite a storyteller , and Monster takes advantage of the serial style. Its laid down perfectly for a tv show.

TheWiseGuy487 , Pluto just keeps getting better and better. One of the best things i've read about dystopian societies . It's certainly my favorite Urasawa series.

 

[Mjölnir]

This sounds really interesting. Del Toro is one of the visually most interesting directors out there and hopefully he can affect that bit as a producer as well.

 

[Lord]

Been meaning to read the manga for a while, heard a lot about it. Glad successful directors and HBO are starting to take interest in Manga, Vagabond would work very well as an HBO show too.

 

[X-Ray]

It's really happening? Nice! Casting Nina/Anna and Jonah will be a challenge. Are their brother & sister twins out there in Hollywood?

 

[Hunter Rider]

This sounds great, but am I right that the main antagonist is 12 years old? is this sci fi or real world?

 

[X-Ray]

This sounds great, but am I right that the main antagonist is 12 years old? is this sci fi or real world?

Yes, maybe even younger in the beginning of the series and it's in the real world. The series stretches over several years.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Yes, maybe even younger in the beginning of the series and it's in the real world. The series stretches over several years.

Thanks, they are going to have to find an exceptional young actor then.

 

[Tequilla]

Thanks, they are going to have to find an exceptional young actor then.

That's mostly in the very beginning of the story.

Altought there's some flashbacks , the story really kicks in 9 years after some events (and stretches beyond that)

I hope they don't relocate the setting. It's very important the role of germany and the cold war in some aspects of the story.

 

[Hunter Rider]

That's mostly in the very beginning of the story.

Altought there's some flashbacks , the story really kicks in 9 years after some events (and stretches beyond that)

I hope they don't relocate the setting. It's very important the role of germany and the cold war in some aspects of the story.

Ah I see, so he'll be 21 in the present day parts of the story?

That's interesting about Germany and the Cold War, not things I'd usually associate with Manga.

 

[Tequilla]

Ah I see, so he'll be 21 in the present day parts of the story?

That's interesting about Germany and the Cold War, not things I'd usually associate with Manga.

Yes , he's mostly 20-21 years during the story.

Monster is a pure thriller , in a European setting. It doesn't follow what people usually associate with manga traits. The geopolitical context is very important in the story. And it relies in some facts and real events .But i expect they transform the japanese protagonist in an american one. He's a foreigner who works in Düsseldorf , so its a little easier to adapt another nationality (although him being a japanese in there , a fish out of the water and very recognizable plays a part in it)

 

[Lord]

Ah I see, so he'll be 21 in the present day parts of the story?

That's interesting about Germany and the Cold War, not things I'd usually associate with Manga.

There are many kinds of manga, there's probably an even bigger variety than in american comics to tell the truth: realistic ones, the more fight based ones you're probably more accostumed to and many more. There are even those that mix all of those like JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, which features European and American settings, along with cultures and beliefs like the mayans and ancestral religions and still keeps crazy fights.

Never read Monster myself, for those that did is now a good time to do it?

 

[TheVileOne]

I would go ahead and check out the anime. Or read the manga, whichever you prefer.

 

[Lord]

Which do you think is superior? Does the anime have bad animation or changes things that makes the experience worse?

 

[Tequilla]

Which do you think is superior? Does the anime have bad animation or changes things that makes the experience worse?

The anime is almost a panel by panel adaptation of the manga. The animation is...acceptable. Kinda stiff , but usually the artwork is pretty consistent. Have you seen Master Keaton ? The style of animation is basically the same (its also another urusawa adaptation).

I think they capture really well the setting , and the whole mood. Music is good. Also there's some nice direction.

In this sort of case , where they are so similar...i always stick with the original. So i would advise to read the manga.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Yes , he's mostly 20-21 years during the story.

Monster is a pure thriller , in a European setting. It doesn't follow what people usually associate with manga traits. The geopolitical context is very important in the story. And it relies in some facts and real events .But i expect they transform the japanese protagonist in an american one. He's a foreigner who works in Düsseldorf , so its a little easier to adapt another nationality (although him being a japanese in there , a fish out of the water and very recognizable plays a part in it)

Gotcha, that should make casting a bit easier.

I have to say it sounds pretty fantastic, no wonder the creator has been protective when it comes to someone adapting it for the screen. You're probably right about the change to an American but I'd love to see them stick with the Japanese lead character.

There are many kinds of manga, there's probably an even bigger variety than in american comics to tell the truth: realistic ones, the more fight based ones you're probably more accostumed to and many more. There are even those that mix all of those like JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, which features European and American settings, along with cultures and beliefs like the mayans and ancestral religions and still keeps crazy fights.

Yeah in truth I don't know a lot about Manga so my view was based off the general image Manga has with people that don't really follow it.

 

[TheWiseGuy487]

Update on the series! t:

http://collider.com/justice-league-dark-news-guillermo-del-toro-monster-hbo/

On Monster, Del Toro said that he just submitted the pilot script to HBO last week and that they’re reading it right now. He revealed his version is very respectful of Urasawa’s manga. Del Toro gained permission from Urasawa to adapt his work, only if he submitted to the author an outline for each episode of the theoretical first season. Del Toro was quick to chime that the series would have a short shelf life – as it will strictly follow the manga’s 18 volumes, nothing added to increase seasons or episode count.

Nice to know that it's not going to go past its source material.

Considering that it's taking from 18 volumes and 162 chapters of material, how many seasons do you think this could run for?

The original anime ran for 74 episodes. 162 divided by 74 is equal to approximately 2. So, each episode of the anime adapted about 1-2 chapters for about a 22 episode runtime.

Going by HBO shows and their runtimes, each episode is about 60 minutes long. In order to fulfill the runtime of each episode, each episode would adapt about 4-5 chapters of material, since one chapter is equal to about 11 minutes (11 x 5 = 55). 162 divided by 4 is about 40 episodes. 162 divided by 5 is about 32. If it were even just 3 chapters per episode, 162 divided by 3 is 54.

If they went by the 10 episode format, like for Game of Thrones, they could get about 4-5 seasons out of this, depending on how they divide up the chapters per episode. If they went with a Boardwalk Empire format, which is 12 episodes, maybe 3-4 seasons.

I'd say either format is a pretty good amount to go with. It would be long enough for them to tell the story it needs to tell, but short enough not to overstay its welcome and get stale.

If they do this right, this could end up being one hell of a adaptation.

 

[Lord]

2-4 seasons seems like a safe bet.

 

[TheWiseGuy487]

2-4 seasons seems like a safe bet.

Agreed.

 

[TheWiseGuy487]

Guillermo Del Toro Talk's About His Adaptation of Urasawa's Monster

Man, I really hope HBO goes ahead with this.