Over the past year or so, it seems like more and more reports come out about older anime titles being re-done as live action films. Just how widespread is this phenomenon, and is it really that new?

Back in the mid-1990’s, Disney acquired the rights to produce a live-action film based on Star Blazers. A script that circulated on the internet reportedly featured a crew which was not named after anyone from the original show’s crew (either their original Japanese name or their English name); also, the script had the crew aboard a rebuilt United States battleship Arizona, rather than a rebuilt Yamato. Disney’s project never came to fruition; however, in 2006, a report surfaced claiming that Benderspink Productions and producer Josh C. Kline were working on another live-action adaptation of the property. From all reports, it appears the film would be based off the "Quest for Iscandar" episodes.

In 2006, it was reported that Larry and Andy Wachowski were going to write and direct a live-action film for Speed Racer. The film is currently scheduled for a summer 2008 release through Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures; Joel Silver serves as the producer for the project. According to reports, the film will feature Speed Racer, as well as Speed’s family and Racer X.

In August 2007, Variety reported that Fox-based Regency had picked up the rights for a live-action feature film version of Voltron. Mark Gordon spent three years developing the film, with Jim Young’s Animus Films funding the development. Gordon will produce the film with Lawrence Inglee and Jordan Wynn. Justin Marks has signed on as the screenwriter for the live-action adaptation. According to several reports, the storyline for the film has been described as a post-apocalyptic story set in New York City and Mexico, with five survivors of an alien attack banding together; they end up piloting five lion-shaped robots that combine to form Voltron.

In September 2007, the Hollywood Reporter ran a story announcing that Warner Bros. Pictures had acquired the feature rights for Robotech. Tobey Maguire will serve as a producer for the live-action film, and reportedly is interested in having the lead role. From the report, it appears the film would be based off the "Macross" section of the series; this is the section that features such characters as Rick Hunter, Lisa Hayes, Lynn Minmei, Captain Henry Gloval, Claudia Grant, etc.

Will we see more classic anime series being given the live-action treatment? In the end, it will depend on if the above projects come to fruition, and how well they perform at the box office.