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Genndy Tartakovsky Still Trying Hard to Make 'Samurai Jack' Movie

by Ethan Anderton
September 12, 2012
Source: IGN

With Hotel Transylvania just a couple weeks away, the director and animation master is making the interview rounds and talking about various other projects on his plate. Yesterday he talked about his approach to a computer animated Popeye, and now he's talking about the long gestating, eagerly anticipated film take on his TV series Samurai Jack. For those who have been waiting for eight years to see the series make the jump the big screen, it should be good to hear from Tartakovsky himself that, "I've been trying so hard every year." And the good news is that the studio seems to want Samurai Jack in theaters too. Read on!

First of all, for those who aren't familiar with the series, here's the synopsis:

In the distant past, a Japanese samurai embarks on a mission to defeat the evil shape-shifting wizard Aku. Before he can complete his task, though, he is catapulted thousands of years into the future. He finds himself in a world where Aku now enjoys complete power over every living thing. Dubbing himself "Jack," he sets out on a new quest--to right the wrongs that have been done by his enemy and to find a way back to his own time so he can destroy the evil once and for all.

Speaking with IGN, here's what Tartakovsky had to say when asked about a Samurai Jack movie:

"The one amazing thing about Jack is that I did it in 2001, you know, and it still survived. There's something about it that's connected with people. And I want it, it's number 1 on my list, and now Bob Osher, the President [of Digital Production at Sony Picture Entertainment], is like 'Hey, let's talk about Jack. Let's see what we can do.' And I go, 'You're going to do a 2D feature animated movie?' and he's like, 'Yeah. Maybe. Let's do some research and let's see.' So it's not dead for sure by any means, and it's still on the top of my list, and I'm trying as hard as I can.”

Well, it might not be at the top of his list since Popeye seems to be next on the docket for the director and Sony, but it's clear that he's still passionate about it. However, the one hurdle that the production faces is that Mako, the actor who voiced the villainous Aku, has passed away since the series ended in 2004. Obviously the role would have to be recast, but fans will certainly be vocal about a replacement if the character makes it to the movie. For now the project isn't really in active development, but it sounds like it could certainly happen sometime down the road. Do you want a Samurai Jack movie?

Filed under Development, Movie News

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