While doing the press rounds for Jack Reacher, director Christopher McQuarrie was not shy in admitting that he had spent the past decade in director’s jail following the disappointment of his 2000 feature directorial debut The Way of the Gun.  Luckily, it looks like that slump is very much over.  McQuarrie is currently prepping Mission: Impossible 5 as his next film, and he’s now added another project to his to-do list.  Deadline reports that McQuarrie will direct and produce an adaptation of the 1970s anime Star Blazers for Skydance Productions.  The sci-fi story revolves around an old spaceship in the year 2199 that must go to another planet and pick up a device that can save the Earth, which has been under siege from hostile aliens using radioactive warfare.

Hit the jump for more, including the news of when M:I 5 will start production.

McQuarrie actually came onboard Star Blazers back in 2011, when he was hired to pen the script for the production.  After turning in an incredibly strong effort with Jack Reacher and subsequently landing the directing gig on Mission: Impossible 5 (both of which are produced by Skydance), it appears that the studio has become quite fond of McQuarrie.  Star Blazers (aka Space Battleship Yamato) first became popular in the 1970s and was recently adapted into a live-action Japanese film.  As a big fan of McQuarrie’s work, I’m very interested to see what he does with the sci-fi genre and this property.

As for McQuarrie’s next film, production on Mission: Impossible 5 is poised to kick off in February in London, according to Production Weekly.  Tom Cruise returns as star and producer, and Simon Pegg told us earlier this year that he would likely be earmarking some time in 2014 to reprise his role in the spy franchise.  Beyond that, other casting has yet to be announced, but if the February start-date sticks we should be hearing more word on that front very soon.

Watch the opening for the 70s anime Star Blazers below, followed by the trailer for the live-action adaptation.