Battle of the Planets Movie Revealed by Russo Brothers at SDCC 2019

The Russo Brothers have acquired the rights to produce a film adaptation of Battle of the Planets. 

News is still pouring in from the SDCC 2019 panel where the two teased this project, but it seems that the Russo Brothers are currently positioning themselves to be the producers of this adaptation. However, as Den of Geek can confirm after attending the panel, they’ve also not ruled out the possibility of directing the adaptation themselves. 

“We’ll see,” says Anthony Russo on the possibility of the pair directing the adaptation. Joe Russo added that “If we were to do it, it would be live-action…. If we were to direct it, we would direct it as a live-action film.”

The project is in the very early stages of development, but it really does sound like the brothers would prefer to direct it. It’s not clear what potential hurdles may be preventing them from doing so outside of simple time constraints or other outside factors. 

If Battle of the Planets strikes you as an odd choice from the duo that just recently brought us Avengers: Endgame (which still may go on to be the highest-grossing movie of all-time), then just know that you’re not alone. However, it sounds like the series was a favorite of Joe Russo, and one of the advantages to the success of the Russo Brother’s movies is that they can pretty much work on whatever passion projects they want for the foreseeable future. 

For those who don’t know, Battle of the Planets was the American adaptation of an anime series known in Japan as Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. It tells the story of the G-Force; a group of five youngsters who are tasked with protecting Earth from galactic threats. It’s notable for its bright animation style, martial arts combat, big space battles (complete with elaborate ships), and colorful cast of characters.

We’re interested to hear more about this project as it develops, including whether or not the Russos will be adapting the more kid-friendly American version, or if they’ll incorporate elements of the slightly more mature Japanese anime. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014. 

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