Hollywood has made several attempts to develop a live-action adaptation of Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy over the years, but the latest could come from Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan.
Reitman & Kenan Developing Astro Boy Movie
According to The InSneider, Reitman and Kenan, who have collaborated on the recent Ghostbusters movies, are developing a live-action Astro Boy movie for Sony Pictures. Sneider hears that the studio is looking for writers who can turn Astro Boy into something fun for the whole family.
He adds that this is something of a passion project for Reitman, but that he’s not expected to direct the film at this time. Although that could easily change depending on the script.
Reitman’s last film was Saturday Night, which followed the premiere of the very first episode of Saturday Night Live. As for Kenan, he took the reins of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, which he also co-wrote alongside Reitman.
First published in 1952, the story follows a young android who was built to resemble the deceased son of a scientist. However, the scientist soon realizes that Astro can’t fill the void of his son and cruelly sells him to a circus. He’s later rescued by Dr. Ochanomizu, a kind-hearted man who becomes an adoptive father figure to the young Astro.
Astro Boy has spawned multiple anime series over the decades, as well as a handful of video game adaptations.
Astro Boy Has Been in the Works For a Long Time
I mentioned that Hollywood has been trying to get a live-action Astro Boy movie off the ground for quite some time, but with little success.
In 2009, Imagi Animation Studios released a CGI-animated movie loosely based on the manga series and stacked it with celebrity voices. Freddie Highmore voiced Astro Boy, with Nicolas Cage taking on the role of Astro’s creator. Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, Eugene Levy, Donald Sutherland, Charlize Theron, Elle Fanning, Bill Nighy, Matt Lucas, and more also voiced characters. Unfortunately, the film received mixed reviews and bombed at the box office, grossing just $42 million against a $65 million budget. Imagi Animation Studios filed for bankruptcy just a few months later.
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