Toei Animation Co., Ltd. completed an advanced CG pilot film called Space Pirate Captain Harlock, based on the Leiji Matsumoto comics. With unprecedented scale and quality, the film will premiere at Tokyo Anime Fair 2010.

　For this enormous project, we called on the bestselling novelist Harutoshi Fukui (Aegis, Lorelei) and Shinji Aramaki, a CG movie director earning acclaim in North America and Europe (directing Appleseed, HALO LEGENDS). The mechanical design was handled by Atsushi Takeuchi, the only Japanese artist to be involved in Star Wars: The Clone Wars (from Production I.G.), while Yutaka Minowa was in charge of character design. We also collaborated with Sega Sammy Visual Entertainment to complete this unconventional pilot film.

Apart from our focus on the kids market, this film is our response to the international animation market.

A key element in “Cool Japan,” the genre known to the world as “ANIME” is regarded as synonymous with high-end animation. Targeting this high-end market and harnessing our strengths, we are proud to show our creative initiative in responding to the demands of the global market.

Space Pirate Captain Harlock is hit animation franchise based on Leiji Matsumoto’s comics. It includes the following works:

1978　TV animation series Space Pirate Captain Harlock

1978　Theatrical feature Space Pirate Captain Harlock: The Secret of Arcadia

1982 Theatrical feature Arcadia of My Youth

1982　TV animation series Arcadia of My Youth: Endless Orbit SSX

The main character – Harlock – has been a beloved character for more than 30 years, appearing in the blockbuster film Galaxy Express 999, which triggered the big anime boom in Japan. That film also enjoys widespread popularity in Europe, especially in France and Italy.

(C)Leiji Matsumoto / Toei Animation