News for the week of 27 June 1999

GUNDAM Wings its Way to America
Hot on the heels of their 1998 GUNDAM releases, AnimeVillage.com has announced the release of two new GUNDAM series in the United States. The first is GUNDAM W, the most popular GUNDAM television series in recent years. This fan favorite is set to have the first volumes released before the end of 1999. In addition, the latest GUNDAM OVA series, THE 08TH MS TEAM, will also be released starting sometime in the year 2000.

POKÉMON Movie Release Date Set
With the exception of Asia, Warner Brothers has acquired world-wide rights for the POKÉMON Movie MEWTWO STRIKES BACK. The film will open on November 12th and will be preceded by the short feature that originally accompanied it in its Japan release, PIKACHU'S VACATION. MEWTWO was the fourth-highest grossing film in Japan in 1998.

Kia Asamiya To Return To America
Bill Flanagan, editor at Viz Communications, has stated that Kia Asamiya will return to America this year. Following his reception at Comic Con International in San Diego last year, Mr. Asamiya has decided to return to America for another visit to America's largest comic book convention. Comic Con International will be held August 12 - 15, 1999, in San Diego, California.

Sunrise officially announces ESCAFLOWNE Movie
Animation studio Sunrise publicly released details of THE VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE movie edition, the planned ninety-minute remake of the 1996 fantasy / science-fiction series. The movie will debut next spring through Bandai Visual in Japan. The story of ESCAFLOWNE revolves around a Japanese girl named Kanzaki Hitomi and Van Fanel, a prince from the mystical parallel world Gaea. The movie will not be a sequel to the television series or the two manga series, but an entirely original story.
Most of the television staff and cast will return for this project, including co-creator Kawamori Shouji (THE SUPER DIMENSION FORTRESS MACROSS), director Akane Kazuki (MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 0083: STARDUST MEMORY) and character designer/animation director Yuuki Nobuteru (X). Episode scriptwriter Yamaguchi Ryouta (NIGHTWALKER, COWBOY BEBOP) is collaborating with Akane on the movie script, while Kanno Yoko (MACROSS PLUS, BEBOP) will compose new pieces for the soundtrack. The movie will be the first co-production of Sunrise and BONES, the production company founded by former Sunrise producer Minami Masahiko (HURRICANE! IRON LEAGUER, BEBOP). Yuuki, Minami and Kawamori have spoken about tentative movie plans since 1997, but Sunrise did not officially announced the project's existence until now.

Designs for the movie edition of ESCAFLOWNE (Images Copyright © Sunrise, Bandai Visual)