The most expensive anime ever produced (2.4 billion yen/$21.6 million), Katsuhiro Otomo's long awaited follow-up to Akira will make its way to North American shores courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics, the company also responsible for Satoshi Kon's Tokyo Godfathers. The plan is to get the film in theaters in time to be eligible for the Academy Award along with films like Shrek 2 and The Incredibles.
Steamboy is possibly the most elaborate animated film ever produced in Japan. Ten years in the making, it is a science-fiction epic set in a bustling Victorian London. The main character is a budding young inventor named Ra Stim who is visiting the inaugural World Expo, a massive fair celebrating the latest developments in technology. Unexpectedly, he receives a mysterious package containing a strange metal ball known as a "Steam Ball." This amazing invention has within it a new type of energy that has the ability to provide power for an entire nation. Needless to say, it's also the driving force behind the motives of nefarious schemers.
It seems that Ra Stim has received the ball from his grandfather, who is trying to keep the ball out of the hands of the O'Hara Foundation. As Ra Stim tries to protect the ball, he discovers the many powers it possesses and uses them to assist him in fighting evil, redeeming his family, and even saving London itself from the brink of destruction. Steamboy has over 180,000 drawings and in excess of 400 CGI cuts, which means it's almost certain to be impressive in comparison to other animated flicks receiving release. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
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