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Christopher McQuarrie to Direct His Own 'Star Blazers' Adaptation Now

by Ethan Anderton
October 30, 2013

Two years ago we learned that Jack Reacher director and The Usual Suspects writer Christopher McQuarrie was going to write a live-action adaptation of the 1970's animated sci-fi series Star Blazers for David Ellison's Skydance Productions. The animated series is actually an adaptation of the Japanese anime series Space Battleship Yamato which was also turned into its own live-action film. Now Deadline has word that McQuarrie will also be directing the sci-fi adventure, which will likely follow his work behind the camera on Mission: Impossible 5 (slated to shoot in February of 2014), which is also a Skydance project.

Here's a synopsis of the first full season of the series:

In the year 2199, the war with the planet Gamilon has turned the Earth's surface into a radioactive desert. The radiation will penetrate the bedrock protecting humanity's underground cities in another year, destroying all remaining life. A message arrives from Queen Starsha of the planet Iscandar, offering a way to eliminate the deadly radiation and providing plans for an engine that can power a ship across the 148,000 light-year gap. Scientists convert the ruined shell of the battleship Yamato into a starship in a desperate attempt to save the planet, and the perilous voyage begins.

Sounds like it will be a step up even from the action in Mission: Impossible 5, as it will likely have even more special effects than the franchise starring Tom Cruise. Skydance will produce the film with Paramount Pictures co-financing the film as part of a deal to co-finance four to six of the company's projects every year, and it sounds like the studio wants to be in business with McQuarrie for awhile. We're hoping McQuarrie knocks Mission: Impossible 5 out of the park and continues the steady spy series revived by J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot, and we're very interested to see how he dives into sci-fi with Star Blazers. Sound good?

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