TOKYOPOP Lands Melissa Joan Hart For Samurai Girl
TOKYOPOP Inc. has inked actress Melissa Joan Hart (SABRINA, THE TEENAGE WITCH) and screenwriter Dan Gordon (WYATT EARP, THE HURRICANE) for a live-action feature film development project inspired by SAMURAI GIRL: REAL BOUT HIGH SCHOOL (SG: RBHS), one of its top manga and anime properties.
"The storyboard aspect of manga is already custom-built for film," said Steve Galloway, TOKYOPOP's exec director of film/television. "And with Hart and Gordon attached to this story's fast-moving adventures, we have all the makings of a terrific cinematic package for teens."
The project materialized after TOKYOPOP was introduced to Hartbreak Films, the producers of SABRINA, THE TEENAGE WITCH. Seeking out fun, new starring vehicles for Hart, exec producer Paula Hart reviewed several anime/manga properties before one in particular caught her eye.
Gordon describes the script as "a delicious action/comedy mix of CLUELESS meets CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON." It's the story of an ancient Samurai warrior reincarnated as a twenty-something-year-old sushi bar hostess. Ryoko discovers she is mankind's only hope in destroying a coven of murderous wolverines who are hatched every 5,000 years and -- if left unchecked -- will destroy all humanity.
TOKYOPOP and Hartbreak Films are now in conversations with potential studio partners for the project.
TOKYOPOP is a youth-oriented entertainment company that creates, licenses and publishes hundreds of book, DVD and music properties. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.