SMAP's Takuya Kimura to lead cast of live-action "Space Battleship Yamato" movie

by Chris MaGee

It's been known for awhile, since March actually, that a brand new "Space Battleship Yamato" animated feature was in the works. Producer Yoshinobu Nishizaki and director Toshio Masuda, who both worked on the orginal 1970's animated series, have assembled a team of animators to revisit the crew of the Battleship Yamato 21 years after their first adventures.

If that wasn't enough to get fans of the original series excited now there's word of a live-action adaptation of "Space Battleship Yamato" in the works. Noboru Ishiguro, who also worked as a director on the series, has confirmed that the project is a go and that SMAP member Takuya Kimura (above left) will be portraying the series' leading hero Susumu Kodai (above right). Well, at least they have the same hairstyle. You just have to get Kimura in a red and white jump suit and he's Kodai.

Not that anime to live-action films are a new phenomena at all, but is it just me that since the success of Takashi Miike's "Yatterman" big screen adaptation that we've been hearing lots of buzz about other 1970's animated series being turned into films? Strike while the iron is hot, as the old saying goes... Thanks to Tokyograph for this news.