One of the most influential anime of the 1990s is Neon Genesis Evangelion. It brought about a revolution among the anime studios. But sadly, it is one of those anime that has not been adapted into a live-action adaptation. Even though several anime adaptations have failed to create a buzz.
Neon Genesis Evangelion was on the verge of having a live action adaptation. Talks were going on about making it into a live-action film. But unfortunately, nothing was finalized. Peter Jackson was one of the few names that were supposed to work on the movie. Seeing the live adaptation of the 90s anime, some fans think that Peter Jackson saved himself from the embarrassment that was to follow if Neon Genesis Evangelion failed at the box office.
Was Neon Genesis Evangelion Live Action In Production?
Neon Genesis Evangelion first aired on October 4, 1995. However, it was not until the late 1990s that it was released in the USA. The anime was an instant hit. It was not long before the show started to get world recognition. Neon Genesis Evangelion was produced by Gainax. Seeing such massive popularity, Gainax did not waste any time and approached ADV with the hopes of turning it into a live-action adaptation.
The development of Neon Genesis Evangelion live-action was first announced at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. Weta Workshop, a visual effects company, was assigned the task of live action. They had just finished their work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy. They had posted a few pictorial concepts of the movie on the internet. Neon Genesis Evangelion was in its pre-production stage. But unfortunately, Hideaki Anno, the director of Neon Genesis Evangelion, left Gainax in 2006. It was the first sign of destruction.
Peter Jackson and Neon Genesis Evangelion
The story of Neon Genesis Evangelion revolves around a 14-year-old boy named Shinji Ikari. Daniel Radcliffe was initially thought of for this role, along with Emma Watson for Asuka. But both of them were busy with Harry Potter at that time. Since Weta Workshop was attached to the movie, they tried to sign Peter Jackson, the director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Unfortunately, he set his eyes on another adaptation, King Kong.
As time passed, the financial situation at Gainax collapsed, and the live-action adaptation of Neon Genesis Evangelion became a distant memory. Hideaki Anno’s Studio Khara took all rights to Evangelion. Gainax suffered a massive setback due to their president, Tomohiko Mari, being arrested on the grounds of sexual assault.
Thus, these events led to the end of the relationship between Gainax and Hideaki Anno. Neon Genesis Evangelion did have four anime movies, with the last one released in 2021. All of them were well received. But the idea of a live-action Evangelion never saw daylight. Peter Jackson was lucky enough to have strayed away from this project. Fans rightly thought if he made the movie among such problems, it would be a massive flop.
Source: Collider
