Film studio Big One has announced the launch of a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for the live-action film adaptation of the iconic Getter Robo super robot manga by Ken Ishikawa and Go Nagai. The campaign aims to raise US$37,356 (about 4,997,000 yen) and will run until May 1. As of press time, the project has raised US$755.
Big One plans to use the funds to produce a proof-of-concept trailer, which will be approximately three to five minutes long and will include CG images of Getter Robo, Get Machines, and the antagonist robot dinosaur Mechasaurus, as well as battle scenes and credits. The trailer will serve as a way to develop and test the film’s models, practical and special visual effects.
The company explained that unlike Hollywood film productions, which have larger budgets for visual tests and techniques during pre-production, Japanese films often have to rely on separate budgets and work within shorter timeframes for these tests.
The live-action film adaptation of Getter Robo was announced by Big One last week, with a planned release in spring 2025 to coincide with the franchise’s 50th anniversary. Junya Okabe, known for his work on Akiba-chan and Cat Shit One: The Animated Series, is serving as the film’s director, writer, and producer, along with other writers including Yoshiaki Tabata.
In addition to the Kickstarter campaign, a Campfire crowdfunding campaign was also launched for the film’s pilot version, which has already exceeded its 5 million yen goal, raising 12,566,050 yen (about US$94,000) as of now, with the campaign ending on April 19.
Getter Robo is a well-known super robot manga series created by Ken Ishikawa and Go Nagai, and the latest installment in the franchise is Getter Robo Arc, a television anime adaptation of the last manga in the series, which premiered in July 2021. The manga remains unfinished after Ishikawa’s death in 2006, with three compiled book volumes published by Futabasha. Getter Robo is often considered one of the most iconic super robot manga series, alongside Go Nagai’s own Mazinger Z, and has spawned numerous spinoff manga and anime adaptations.