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Nikkei: Ishinomori Work to Get Hollywood Film in 2012 (Update 2)

The Nikkei news source reports that a work by the late manga and anime creator Shōtarō Ishinomori will be adapted into a live-action and computer-graphics film in Hollywood in 2012. Ishinomori conceived of several popular classics, including Kamen Rider, Cyborg 009, Harmagedon, and The Skull Man. According to Nikkei, the film will open both in Japan and overseas.

Nikkei reports that Ishimori Productions, the copyright holder of Ishinomori's works, drafted an agreement with a major American movie company and will sign the contract within the year. The companies aim to lock down the director, cast, and other broad details next year. If the project gets produced, it will be the first Hollywood film adaptation of Ishinomori's works.

ITOCHU Corporation announced an agreement for the rights to produce a live-action film in 2005, but that agreement has yet to produce a film. Michael Uslan's Comic Book Movies (CBM) company was attached to that previously announced development deal. Several of the Japanese live-action Kamen Rider television series have been adapted into English and exported, including the recent Kamen Rider Dragon Knight series (pictured at right). Tokyopop published the Cyborg 009 manga in North America, and Cartoon Network ran the 2001-2002 anime adaptation in the United States. Central Park Media's U.S. Manga Corps label released the Harmagedon anime film, and Media Blasters' AnimeWorks label imported the Genma Wars television sequel series.

Update: More background information added.

Update 2: The official website for Cyborg 009 marked the 45th anniversary of the manga in July with a message that mentioned offers for one or more overseas film adaptations. The message does not specify if this mention is a reference to Itochu's 2005 agreement, a proposed animated film adaptation which involved Peter Chung, or this year's tentative agreement. Thanks, Liam.