During the world premiere event in London, England for the upcoming Prime Video thriller series, Citadel, Collider's own Steve Weintraub had the chance to catch up with Anthony and Joe Russo, the duo serving as executive producers of the series via their AGBO production banner. During his time talking to the Russo Brothers, Weintraub asked not just about Citadel but also other projects that the duo is involved in. One of the topics discussed was the pair's adaptation of the 1970s animated series Battle of the Planets, which the brothers will be producing via AGBO and is set to spawn its own expansive franchise. When asked how the project was coming along, the Russo's replied by saying that, while no new milestone has been met recently, they are putting a lot of "creative energy" into not just the first project by the cinematic universe they plan on creating.
When asked by Weintraub for a status update on the Battle of the Planets project, Anthony said that they were "hard at work at it." He continued, "We're not at a new threshold moment with it yet, but it's something that we've been putting a lot of creative energy into." Joe chimed in by saying, "We’re building out the scale of it. We really want to bring a level of detail to it that could support a universe, and that's what we're in the middle of. You know, sometimes it takes years to develop. I mean, Citadel took five years to get to the screen. So when you're building things from the ground up, brick by brick, it takes a while."
Weintraub followed up by asking if the project will be a movie or a series and if they have a studio in mind for the project. The Russo Brothers both confirmed saying that the project could be either a film or a series and that there is no studio set as of yet. Anthony said, "It could be both... We don't have a studio in mind, no." Joe continued by explaining the team being compelled by the idea of interconnected stories, saying:
"Our brains are most compelled by interconnected storytelling using different media to tell those stories, and that's really what AGBO– it's sort of the ethos of what AGBO was built on. You know, how can we tell stories at scale using different forms of media? So everything that's in development there gets explored through that lens, especially something of the scale of Battle of the Planets."
This Battle of the Planets adaptation was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019 during the Russo Brothers' panel at the event which was also moderated by Weintraub. During the event, the logo for the project was revealed but news of the film/series has been fairly quiet since. Almost a full year ago in July 2021, it was announced that Daniel Casey, known for writing the screenplays of F9 and 10 Cloverfield Lane had been brought on board to write Battle of the Planets. When it was announced that Casey would be joining the project, the Russos put out a statement that said:
"We are thrilled to be working with a collaborator of Dan’s caliber on this beloved property. His passion, attention to detail, and thirst for innovation will no doubt delight fans of the IP while making a thoughtful introduction for newcomers. He is pioneer at heart and the perfect partner as we set out to lay the foundation of a universe which will engage audiences on a meaningful level and across the media landscape."
What Is Battle Of The Planets
Battle of the Planets was first released in 1978 and ran until 1980 and was an American-animated series that was adapting a Japanese anime series called Science Ninja Team Gatchaman which ran from 1972 to 1974. During its time, it was one of the most successful animated series in the United States and is still remembered fondly today. The series tells the stories of five orphaned teens who have been trained since a young age to become members of a team known as G-Force or are tasked with defending Earth and other planets from intergalactic invasions.
Stay tuned to Collider for future updates on the upcoming live-action adaptation of Battle of the Planets.