Avi Arad (former head of Marvel Studios) to head Production I.G.'s American Affiliate

[lcummins]

From Anime News Network...

IG Port, the parent company of the anime studios <CITE class="e company">Production I.G</CITE> and <CITE class="e company">Xebec</CITE>, announced on Monday that film producer Avi Arad has been installed as chairperson of <CITE class="e company">Production I.G</CITE>'s American affiliate, <CITE class="e company">Production I.G., LLC</CITE>. Through Arad's connections, <CITE class="e company">Production I.G., LLC</CITE>. plans to strengthen and expand its global animation production efforts and business development. <CITE class="e company">Production I.G</CITE> established its American arm in Los Angeles in May of 1997.

Arad has been prominent in Hollywood industry circles as a major producer behind the <CITE class="e company">Marvel Studios</CITE> film franchises such as <CITE><CITE class="e anime">X-Men</CITE>, Spider-Man</CITE>, and <CITE class="e anime">Iron Man</CITE>. Arad is still involved in the Marvel films, but he resigned as the head of <CITE class="e company">Marvel Studios</CITE> to form his own production company in 2006.
Arad is also involved in <CITE class="e company">DreamWorks</CITE>' upcoming live-action adaptation of <CITE class="e person">Masamune Shirow</CITE>'s science-fiction manga <CITE class="e anime">Ghost in the Shell</CITE>. <CITE class="e company">Production I.G</CITE> already adapted <CITE class="e anime">Ghost in the Shell</CITE> into a well-known anime <CITE class="e lexicon">franchise</CITE>.
<CITE class="e company">Production I.G</CITE> had previously confirmed at Anime Expo in July that it is working with Arad to create a comic titled <CITE>Innocent</CITE> (not to be confused with <CITE class="e company">Production I.G</CITE>'s animated film <CITE class="e anime">Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence</CITE>). Arad is also involved as an executive advisor in <CITE class="e company">Namco</CITE> Bandai's efforts to adapt the <CITE>Pac-Man</CITE> video games for television again. Source: AnimeAnime.biz

 

[daikkenaurora]

I guess he also wants to F up anime.

 

[Darth Cruel]

Hmmm...interesting. I am looking fgorward to a live-action interpretation of "Ghost in the Shell".

 

[Sweet Rabbit]

I guess he also wants to F up anime.

 

[plasmid303]

I'm cautiously optimistic!

 

[daikkenaurora]

Hmmm...interesting. I am looking fgorward to a live-action interpretation of "Ghost in the Shell".

they'd make it PG-13 and make it crappy.

 

[The Vile One]

I give credit to Avi Arad for helping to save Marvel from bankruptcy but more and more it seems like he was a guy at the right place and at the right time. Marvel I think is doing better without him around and Arad Productions isn't really doing much these days. His first movie after leaving Marvel was BRATZ.

Arad was really a toy guy that lucked out and hit it big.