Production On Satoshi Kon's DREAMING MACHINE Resumes.

When director Satoshi Kon began work on The Dreaming Machine (Yume-Miru Kikai) he knew something that his fans around the globe did not: That he was suffering from a terminal illness and there was a very real possibility that he would not survive until the end of production. And so he asked for - and received - a very simple promise from production company Madhouse Studios. He simply wanted to know that the studio would finish the film no matter what happened to him.

Kon's passing in August led to a temporary suspension of production on the picture but now Madhouse is making good on that promise with word that character designer and chief animation director Yoshimi Itazu has been given the role of acting director and production has resumed. Itazu's selection is a good one as it places someone who has been intimately involved with the creation of the film from the very beginning in charge, someone who should have a very clear understanding of Kon's vision for the piece. Here's hoping the work Itazu does in completing it is a worthy tribute to its creator.