Disney Orders New Anime Phoenix: Eden17 by Astroboy’s Creator

Disney has ordered the new anime Phoenix: Eden 17 from STUDIO4°C, which is based on the “epic cult manga” Phoenix by Osamu Tezuka. Tezuka’s iconic works in manga, anime, and animation include Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, Black Jack, Dororo and more, setting a high bar for this anime. There’s also the massive pressure of Phoenix being the treasured unfinished project that Tezuka viewed as his “life’s work,” not to mention the fact that the manga was an anthology of 12 standalone stories set in different eras of time, from prehistoric history to the distant future. 

As you can see in the announcement trailer above, Phoenix: Eden17 looks as though it could be focused on multiple arcs (if not all of them) from Tezuka’s opus. “Nostalgia” certainly coems to mind: published in the 1970s, this story features the planet of Eden, as well as multiple characters from other stories in the series. “Universe” features a story about astronauts trying to escape a disaster in space on a mysterious planet (clearly seen in the footage); after that it gets harder to discern, with stories like “Strange Beings” and “Life” also hinted at in the footage. 

Tezuka’s Phoenix has been previously adapted for the screen: A live-action movie based on the “Dawn” story arc was released in 1978 under the title “Hi no Tori,” using by live-action actors nad animated seqeunces directed by Tezuka (including an Astro Boy cameo). The film came to the US in 1982 under the title The Phoenix (Hinotori); it is now incredibly obscure and hard to find, only being sold in DVD format over in Europe. 

In terms of anime, the various story arcs of Phoenix have been adapted into anime several times before. Phoenix 2722 was a 1980 anime feature-film that Tezuka co-wrote with director Taku Sugiyama, and was loosely based on several of the stories, which were loosely strung together into one plot. The 1980 film led to a 1986 sequel (Phoenix: Karma Chapter), as well as two more OVAs (Yamato Chapter and Space Chapter) in 1987. The manga also got a 13-episode anime TV series in 2004, which was dubbed in English by 2007. 

Needless to say, any work of Osamu Tezuka is going to be heavily scrutinized by fans – but to do that, they will have to actually watch this latest adaptation – a surge of interest Disney is counting on to keep chipping away at the anime market. 

Phoenix: Eden17 is expected in 2023.