Go, anime?
Should Speed Racer withstand Iron Man and next week's Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, it could translate into more big-screen adaptations from the ranks of Japanese pop culture. While highly regarded by fans, critics and filmmakers, the anime and manga genres have yet to enjoy success en masse.
If Racer -- which is family-friendlier than most properties -- changes that, look for more to follow, including:
THE LAST AIRBENDER: The Sixth Sense and Signs director M. Night Shyamalan has announced he will direct a big-screen version of the Nickelodeon series about a hero who can control the elements. The movie, Shyamalan's first foray into monster-budget filmmaking, will be released in July 2010.
AKIRA: This post-cyber-punk classic has been eyed by Hollywood for years. Now thanks to technological advances -- and franchise-hungry studios -- expect it to finally make its way to the big screen soon. Leonardo DiCaprio's production shingle has announced plans to make back-to-back films set in the saga's futuristic Tokyo.
GHOST IN THE SHELL: Steven Spielberg will produce a film based on this 1989 manga. The thriller, set in a Blade Runner-ish world populated by artificial intelligences, has generated a mini-industry of movies and video games since its debut.
BATTLE ANGEL ALITA: Look for Terminator and Titanic director James Cameron to turn his attentions to this manga comic about an amnesiac female cyborg once he's finished shooting his 3D extravaganza Avatar.
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