Dreaming Machine

Dreaming Machine
Directed by Satoshi Kon
Yoshimi Itazu
Produced by Masao Maruyama
Ryoichiro Matsuo
Written by Satoshi Kon
Music by Susumu Hirasawa
Cinematography Kenji Itoso
Production
company
Country Japan
Language Japanese

Dreaming Machine (夢みる機械 Yume Miru Kikai) is an unfinished anime film by Satoshi Kon. It would have been the director's fifth feature film. After Kon's death on August 24, 2010, production continued at Madhouse, where the team used Satoshi Kon's directorial tapes and notes to guide them to completing the film, though the main work such as storyboards and script was already complete. In August 2011, Madhouse founder Masao Maruyama revealed that production of the film had been halted due to lack of finances. Only 600 of 1500 shots have been animated. However, Maruyama still intends to finish the film, however long it takes.[1]

Plot

In an interview with Anime News Network, Kon talked about the film:

The title will be Yume-Miru Kikai. In English, it will be The Dream Machine. On the surface, it's going to be a fantasy-adventure targeted at younger audiences. However, it will also be a film that people who have seen our films up to this point will be able to enjoy. So it will be an adventure that even older audiences can appreciate. There will be no human characters in the film; only robots. It'll be like a "road movie" for robots.
—Satoshi Kon[2]

The film will center on three characters, Ririco, Robin and King – all three of whom are automated.

Production

During Kon's battle with pancreatic cancer, the director expressed concern about the film being finished to Madhouse head Masao Maruyama. Maruyama assured Kon the film would be completed, no matter what. When Kon died, production was suspended indefinitely until further plans could be worked out over the film. On Friday November 12, 2010 Madhouse Studios announced production resumed with character designer and chief animation director Yoshimi Itazu taking over as director of the film.[3] At Otakon 2011, Maruyama revealed that production had been put on hold for financial reasons, but that he was dedicated to eventually be able to finish the film. According to Maruyama, about 600 shots out of 1500 had been animated at that point.[4]

In 2011, founder Masao Maruyama left Madhouse to found MAPPA in order to "make new shows that we wouldn't have been able to make at Madhouse." At Otakon 2012, he stated regarding Satoshi Kon's unfinished film, "Unfortunately, we still don't have enough money. My personal goal is to get it within five years after his passing. I'm still working hard towards that goal."[5]

There has been no news about the film since 2012, but one of the project leads, Kenji Itoso, recently crowdfunded a separate film, Santa Company, on Kickstarter. In an interview in December 2014, Itoso said he felt comfortable taking a break from Dreaming Machine only because Satoshi Kon himself had urged him not to obsess too much about completing the project.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Deculture (2014-04-30). "Interview with Masao Maruyama". Deculture. Retrieved 2015-01-22.
  2. ↑ Justin Sevakis (2008-08-21). "Interview: Satoshi Kon". Anime News Network. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  3. ↑ Anime News Network (2010-11-11). "Satoshi Kon's Last Film Officially Resumes Production". Anime News Network. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  4. ↑ Brown, Todd (2011-08-09). "Production Halted On Satoshi Kon's Dreaming Machine". Twitch Film. Retrieved 2011-08-09.
  5. ↑ Sevakis, Justin (2012-07-28). "Masao Maruyama/MAPPA Q&A". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
  6. ↑ 公開前に制作費をほぼ回収!?　アニメ『サンタ・カンパニー』のクラウドファンディング活用法. CGWORLD (in Japanese). 20 December 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2015.

External links