Link This | Email this | Blog This | Comments (0)

Eastman Goes To The Highland(er)
July 2, 2007

Highlander: The Search for Vengeance, which was released last month by Manga Entertainment, finds

renowned comicbook artist and producer Kevin Eastman taking on the role of “U.S. animation supervisor.” The anime-styled take on the popular Hollywood franchise that initially launched in 1986 was directed by anime legend Yoshiaki Kawajiri of Vampire Hunter D and Ninja Scroll fame. In his animation supervisor capacity, Eastman found himself acting as the liaison between U.S. producers and the anime production team.

“With a property like Highlander, we had to work in the Hollywood fashion,” Eastman told us. “But [producers] Panzer/Davis didn’t believe how long it took to make—it’s obviously not like a live action film. Highlander took about 18 months from approved script to finished product.”

Adapting a Hollywood franchise to the anime discipline may have been a challenge but, according to Eastman, there were a handful of possible candidates up for “anime-zation.”

“Let’s see, what else was on the list. There was The Crow, Mad Max, Aliens and others. Oh yeah, an animated Terminator was also considered,” Eastman said. “Highlander was a little more low key and not as ingrained in the people’s minds, that that had a lot to do with why it was chosen.”

 

 

 

 

Posted by Laurence Lerman on July 2, 2007 | Comments (0)