New Akira Anime Project And Brand New Anime Film Keep Katsuhiro Otomo Busy

This is Orbital Era. It’s a new anime feature film from Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo and Sunrise, the folks behind Gundam. This isn’t the only thing that he has been working on. Otomo has also announced a new Akira anime project as well as a 4K remaster of the original 1988 film.

Below is the first teaser for Orbital Era, which will be Otomo’s third feature film.

According to ANN, the movie is set in the future and has fantasy elements. Via Sunrise, here is the movie’s official description:

The plot takes place in the near-future on a space colony under construction. It is an action-adventure story following the lives of some young boys surviving in this peculiar environment and society as they are tossed around by fate. “The reality found in mankind’s future” will be depicted through their perspective.

While the main character is American, he wears an astronaut helmet with CCCP, or the Russian abbreviation for USSR, on it.

Otomo is writing the script as well as directing.

Prior to this, Otomo’s most recent feature film was 2004’s Steamboy. His first film, Akira, came out in 1988.

With Orbital Era in production, it might seem as though Otomo has his hands full, but he also announced a new Akira project during his Anime Expo panel this week. It’s unclear if this is a remake, but the project reportedly aims to incorporate all of the Akira manga’s story.

Back in 2013, Otomo told Japanese TV, “You all want me to do Akira 2, right? I’m not going to do it, however.”

The original Akira manga debuted in 1982 and ended in 1990.

If that was not enough (apparently, it isn’t!), the original Akira movie is getting a 4K remaster, aimed for release next spring in Japan. ANN reports that it will also be released in the US, so it’s likely it will come to Australia as well.

Plus (yes, there’s more), Kodansha is putting together a “Complete Works Project” with Otomo which will comprise all of his manga since his debut in 1971. [Full disclosure: My first book was published by Kodansha International.] For the first time, Otomo’s works will be presented in their entirety. Good!


The Cheapest NBN 1000 Plans

Looking to bump up your internet connection and save a few bucks? Here are the cheapest plans available.

At Kotaku, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

Comments


One response to “New Akira Anime Project And Brand New Anime Film Keep Katsuhiro Otomo Busy”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *