Isayama Hajime's Attack On Titan has proven to be one of the most successful manga / anime properties to emerge from Japan in some time, the story of a low-tech future earth where the survivors of humanity live in massive walled cities for protection from a race of flesh eating giants proving enormously popular both on the page and the screen around the globe. All of which led to immense anticipation for the announced live action version of the film which was originally set up with Confessions helmer Nakashima Tetsuya at the helm.
Great property, great director, can't go wrong, right? Except it did, and Nakashima left the project a year ago over disagreements with the direction being taken in the script, leaving the film rudderless but not abandoned since.
Enter Higuchi Shinji. A veteran special effects director - still best known in many circles as the man responsible for the creature in the 1990s trilogy of Gamera films - who made a big splash as director of 2006 hit The Sinking Of Japan and more recently directed the live action short film Giant God Warrior Attacks Tokyo for Anno Hideaki's tokusatsu themed museum exhibit. And, yes, now Higuchi is at the helm for Attack On Titan.
So once again we have a very good - although quite different - director at the helm of a very good property. Will it turn out differently this time? Here's hoping.