Star Blazers movie is a go, once more fulfilling our fantasies of being killed by aliens

By Sean O'Neal | October 30, 2013 | 5:33pm

Aux Features Film

As part of the continued, cathartic expression of our disappointment at not being blown up by aliens yet, the live-action update of Star Blazers is a go—so we can again do fictional battle, at least, with those extraterrestrial invaders who still think they’re above coming down here and saying it to our face. Meanwhile, we have all these alien-fighting ships and robots just lying around. Star Blazers, intermittently in the works since at least the ‘90s, was last reported on in 2011, when writer Christopher McQuarrie signed up to adapt the ’70s animated series, which was itself based on the Japanese anime Space Battleship Yamato, which in turn received its own live-action adaptation in 2010. And all of which were inspired by the arrogant belief that we’re interesting enough that aliens would want to kill us.

Since then, McQuarrie has transitioned to directing with Jack Reacher and the upcoming Mission Impossible 5, so he’ll now also be given the chance to also helm the futuristic film about the crew of a WWII-era ship turned spacecraft, as it races to save humankind from aliens who are out to obliterate them, again. Also since 2011, this sort of thing has become an increasingly overcrowded genre, what with Battleship, Pacific Rim, the continued proliferation of Transformers, Oblivion, Ender’s Game, the upcoming Edge Of Tomorrow, Robotech and Voltron movies, and Independence Day sequels, etc. Nevertheless, Deadline says producers are confident that Star Blazers can find its place as a continuing franchise (one that, given McQuarrie’s involvement, probably has a pretty good chance of starring Tom Cruise now). That is, unless the aliens get down here and wipe us out already, damn.