Here's How Neon Genesis Evangelion's Live-Action Movie Fell Apart

Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of those anime series that come around once in a lifetime. The [...]

Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of those anime series that come around once in a lifetime. The story, which Hideaki Anno created decades ago, remains one of the most praised in anime's long history. With the series now streaming on Netflix, Neon Genesis Evangelion is back in the public eye, and fans are starting to dig back into its history. And it seems like they are all asking one big question these days...

What in the world happened to the anime's live-action film?

Recently, Polygon dove into the complicated history behind the Neon Genesis Evangelion plans. For long time fans of the series, they will remember well how big the anime was during the 1990s. At the height of anime's insurgence to the West, it was Neon Genesis Evangelion leading the charge with series like Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon. Gainax, the studio who created the series, and licenser ADV Films were keen on getting a live-action project rolling for the series. So, it did not take them long to team up with Weta Workshop on such an idea.

Off the heels of The Lord of the Rings, Weta Workshop realized how much interest there was in the anime adaptation, but work got underway fast. The trio confirmed in 2003 that plans for a live-action adaptation were being worked on, but issues cropped up behind the scenes. While Weta Workshop worked up designs for a live-action movie, discord was going down over casting. After all, a film like this had movie execs wanting star power, but the Japanese team insisted the film stick to child actors under 15 years old.

As development dragged on, reports say things only got worse for Neon Genesis Evangelion. The cast was said to be a Western-centric one which reeked of white-washing. All of this drama climaxed when the series' creator chose to expand Neon Genesis Evangelion with new films. It was then Anno left Gainax to start his own company Studio Khara, and he took the anime with him. This move served as the final death blow to the live-action adaptation, but those involved with the original project still hold hope.

Yes, it might be difficult to untangle the film rights to Neon Genesis Evangelion, but it is doable if the interest is there. With the anime now featured on Netflix, the mecha title has the potential to reel in millions of fans, and Hollywood would be happy to add more anime projects to its schedule if the need arises.

So, do you think this live-action project will ever get green lit again? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

Neon Genesis Evangelion is a psychological drama by way of giant monster versus mech anime. The franchise debuted as a television series in 1995-1996 with two films following in 1997. The series follows Shinji Ikari, who is recruited by his father to pilot the giant mech Evangelion in the fight against giant monsters known as Angels in the futuristic city of Tokyo-3. But Shinji is unwilling to bear this huge responsibility and is often conflicted about taking part in a war he was dragged into. This conflict of emotions leads to many introspective episodes that cover the range of religious, philosophical, and existential concepts.

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