English-language adaptation of "Golgo 13" on the horizon as remake rights purchased

by Chris MaGee

In all our too-ing and fro-ing at the 36th annual Toronto International Film Festival we have been a little slow on the uptake with news reports in the past week. One such story that has already been doing the rounds of the net is the imminent English-language live-action adaptation of Takao Saito's manga "Golgo 13".

According to Film Biz Asia, Davis Films, the people behind the "Resident Evil" films and "Silent Hill", amongst many others, have bought the rights to Saito's legendary Japanese comic about the life of lone assassin Golgo 13.

The manga has been running in Shogakukan's Big Comic Magazine since 1969 and has spawned two animated films, an animated series on TV Tokyo, and two live-action films in which Ken Takakura and Sonny Chiba portrayed Golgo. Davis Film's adaptation will be the first English-language take on the manga. Davis Films' Samuel Hadida did not announce any director, casting or production schedule for their "Golgo 13", only saying that, "We are looking forward to bringing his style sensibilities and this great character to worldwide film audiences."

It's a timely move by Davis Films given that "Golgo 13" has gotten a boost in public attention from Discotek Media's recent DVD release of Osamu Dezaki's 1983 animated film "Golgo 13: The Professional" (read our original report on the release here). More on this production as details come out.