How did you go about bringing this popular franchise to film? What were the biggest challenges? What was easiest? What part were you most nervous about bringing to the big screen?Sato: I had always wanted to work on a sci-fi action story with Tokyo as the stage. “GANTZ” was the project that made this possible. I wanted to create a sci-fi action with a distinct feel using my own method and style. “GANTZ” is based on a radical manga that includes a distinct Japanese feel. The biggest challenge was bringing that chimerical visual to the screen. Everything was brought to life through various techniques. We were able to have an environment where many staff members and I could exchange ideas and that made the process enjoyable.
Do you think American audiences will understand the culture references in the film?
Sato: I am not sure. But even if they cannot understand, I think they will be able to understand the mood or atmosphere. A mixture of ordinary, daily modern life and an extreme fantasy world. This imbalance is the world of “GANTZ” as well as the fascinating quantity of “GANTZ”. That is why for the non-sci-fi, daily life scenes I intentionally made the scenes as ordinary as possible.
What do you think audiences will most enjoy about this film?
Sato: From the very beginning you are not sure what sort of story will unfold and which direction the story will go and that is what I would like for the audience to enjoy. And what I want the audience to pay attention to and enjoy is the eccentric battles against the unknown beings. In English they would be referred to as ‘aliens’ and usually in Japanese they would be referred to as ‘uchuzin’ (outer space people). But in GANTZ, they are ‘seizin’ (star people). The meanings are almost identical but the fact that GANTZ uses ‘seizin’ instead of ‘uchuzin’ is one of the very distinct characteristics of GANTZ. It gives them a mysterious feel that is different from regular aliens. Are they really aliens? And on top of that, why are they blending in with people and leading regular lives? There is no explanation. These mysterious “aliens” are what I want audiences to pay attention to and were worthwhile scenes as I directed the live action film.
What was the most exciting thing about this project for you?
Sato: It included my hopes of filming an action film with Tokyo as the stage so the planning and filming of each and every scene was exciting. But during the winter season most of the filming took place outdoors so it was tough, especially for the actors wearing the suits. We were very particular about the look and texture of the suits so it ended up being a breezy material.
A word for American “GANTZ” fans out there.
For those of you who are already fans of the “GANTZ” manga, I think you will be able to enjoy it from scratch. Please enjoy this film that is in another world. Also, for those of you who are not familiar with GANTZ, I hope you will be able to enjoy the excitement and thrill of not knowing what sort of film is about to begin.
Gantz World Premiere info:
NEW PEOPLE and NCM Fathom are bringing the world premiere of GANTZ to movie theaters nationwide for a one night live event on Thursday, January 20! Following the feature, the two stars, Kazunari Ninomiya and Kenichi Matsuyama will participate in an exclusive live interview that can only be seen at this premier.
To purchase tickets for this exclusive event simply click here!
Make sure to pick up Gantz Volume 15 on sale now at your favorite bookstore!