Toei Animation announced in a press release on Thursday that Go Nagai 's Mazinger Z giant robot manga and anime franchise is getting a movie adaptation. The press release itself doesn't specify that the movie will be animated. The film is commemorating the 45th anniversary of the original Mazinger Z manga and television anime series. The film is temporarily titled Gekijōban Mazinger Z (Mazinger Z The Movie). Toei Animation is producing the project, and Toei will distribute the film.

Toei has launched a website for the new film. The film will have a stage event at the AnimeJapan 2017 event in Tokyo on March 26.

Nagai launched the Mazinger Z manga in Shueisha 's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1972, and the television anime series premiered at the same time. The anime ran for 92 episodes from 1972-1974, and the anime's 68th episode garnered a 30.4% viewer rating when it aired on March 17, 1974.

The story follows high school boy Kōji Kabuto in his super robot Mazinger Z as he battles Dr. Hell, a mad scientist bent on world domination. The franchise has spawned four television series, at least nine movies, and several original video animation projects.

Discotek Media released the original anime on DVD in North America in 2014.

Image © Go Nagai / Dynamic Planning

Source: Eiga.com