Anime to Live Action

Space Battleship Yamato, a teevee anime smasheroo in Japan three-plus decades ago, now comes to the big screen in a flesh and blood incarnation.

The first teaser trailer for the live action version of Space Battleship Yamato (Star Blazers in the US) is available on YouTube. This seminal anime series is considered by many fans to be the "Japanese Star Trek".

Takuya Kimura (above) from the singing group SMAP stars as the young Captain Susumu Kodai (Derek Wildstar in the U.S. version).

Based on a Japanese Science fiction manga created by Leiji Matsumoto (Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Galaxy Express 999), the Anime series began airing in 1974. The set for the beginning of the saga is the year 2199, Earth is now uninhabitable due to non-stop barrage of radioactive bombs by an alien race called the Gamilons ...

As Scooby Doo and Rocky and Bullwinkle change formats, so do beloved Japanese animated series get the live-action treatment.

De Niro plays Fearless Leader, and now this. Where will it end?