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J.J. Abrams, Hasbro in Micronauts/Microman Film Talks

posted on by Egan Loo
Japanese toy inspiration for Micronauts, Transformers also inspired TV anime

The Wall Street Journal newspaper reports that director and producer J.J. Abrams (2009 Star Trek film, Lost, Alias) is in talks with Hasbro to produce a film based on the Micronauts action figure line. The 1976-1980 Micronauts toys from the defunct Mego Corporation were actually rebranded Microman action figures from the Japanese toy company Takara (now a part of Takara Tomy).

In Japan, Takara's 1998-2000 Microman Magne Powers brand relaunch spawned the 52-episode Chiisana Kyojin Microman anime series (1999). There were also several Microman manga over the last three decades. Two other Microman spinoffs from Takara — the transforming handheld objects from the Micro Change line and the transforming vehicles from the Diaclone line — were rebranded and exported as the first year's lineup of Hasbro's Transformers toys in 1984. According to The Wall Street Journal, Hasbro now has the rights to the Micronauts toy brand.

Source: ICv2

Image © 1999 Takara, Studio Pierrot, Yomiko Advertising, Inc., TV Tokyo


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