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Live-Action Film Getter Robo Robot Project Also Launches Kickstarter Campaign
posted on by Joanna Cayanan
Film studio Big One announced on Wednesday that it launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for a proof-of-concept trailer of the live-action film adaptation of Ken Ishikawa and Gō Nagai's iconic Getter Robo super robot manga. The campaign has a US$37,356 (about 4,997,000 yen) goal, and will end on May 1. As of press time, the project has raised US$755.
Big One will produce the trailer to develop and test the film's models, and practical and special visual effects. The company also explained that unlike Hollywood film productions with big budget that can do visual tests and techniques on pre-production, Japanese films have to do these tests on a separate budget from the film, and on a smaller scale within a short timeframe.
Getter Robo's proof-of-concept trailer is estimated to be three to five minutes long, and will include the following contents:
- Title CG logo
- CG images of Getter Robo (Getter-1, Getter-2, and Getter-3)
- CG images of Get Machines (Three machines: Eagle-Gou, Jaguar-Gou, and Bear-Gou)
- CG images of the antagonist robot dinosaur Mechasaurus (1 unit)
- Battle scene of Getter-1 and Mechasaurus
- Additional scenes by cast (if finalized by then) (tentative)
- End credits of main staff
- End credits of supporters subscribed for the end credit reward
At the same time of the announcement, a Campfire crowdfunding campaign launched for the film's pilot version. The campaign for the pilot film will end on April 19, and has so far raised 12,566,050 yen (about US$94,000), exceeding it's 5 million yen goal.
The latest work in the Getter Robo franchise is Getter Robo Arc, the television anime adaptation of the last manga in the series. The anime premiered in July 2021. Sentai Filmworks licensed the anime, and HIDIVE streamed the series as it aired in Japan. Ishikawa ran the manga in Futabasha's Super Robot Magazine beginning in 2002, and it remains unfinished after Ishikawa's death in 2006. Futabasha published three compiled book volumes for the manga.
Ken Ishikawa and Gō Nagai created the Getter Robo manga, often considered one of the most iconic super robot manga series alongside Nagai's own Mazinger Z. Ishikawa wrote three sequels (of which Getter Robo Arc was the last), and the franchise spawned numerous spinoff manga and anime adaptations.
Sources: Press release, Getter Robo live-action film project's website and Kickstarter crowdfunding page
