July 20th, 2009 
AstroNerdBoy TokyoGraph reported on Saturday that ISHIGURO Noboru, the animation and episode director of for the various Space Battleship Yamato anime series (MATSUMOTO Leiji being the main director) confirmed at the 2009 Otakon convention that the Japanese are doing a live-action Space Battleship Yamato movie and that the part of Kodai will be played by SMAP band member and TV actor KIMURA Takuya.
When it comes to the special effects, I’m not to worried about this one. Why? Because the CGI sequence for the Space Battleship Yamato 2 pachinko game kick serious bottom. If they can make something this good for a pachinko game, it can be the same or better for a movie.
Providing that they tell a good story that is faithful without the 70’s cheese (obviously a lot of “small” stuff would have to be cut), that would be good. I’m guessing they’ll just do the whole story in one movie, but to be honest, a three-part movie would do the first TV series justice. That just leaves the acting and directing aspect. I don’t know anything about this Takuya guy so I don’t know what his involvement means. However, I hope for good performances. There’ve been a lot of crappy anime/manga/book adaptations, but I felt Shinobi: Blade Under Heart was a good (even if abbreviated) take on Kouga Ninja Scrolls (Basilisk as the anime was called).
Well, we’ll see what happens.
Update: Here’s my review of the live-action movie. ^_^
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Didn’t some American company talk about doing a movie based on Yamato, only using the U.S.S. Arizona instead?
Yeah, I believe that was Walt Disney that licensed to have that movie made. That was in the mid-90’s though and I don’t think anything else has come of it since the one script was written.
I’ve seen Takuya Kimura in various movies & TV shows & he is a fabulous actor. I don’t tink he’s ever done sci-fi though.
Well, then his choice to play the lead role of Kodai sounds like a winner.