A producers' group whose members include Yoshiyuki Tomino, director of the animated television series "Mobile Suit Gundam," says it has teamed up with major U.S. special effects studio Legacy Effects LLC.
The move is intended to promote works based on Japanese manga and anime series in markets around the world through Hollywood.
The two sides will exchange opinions over areas such as character design and scenarios when planning movies to determine their production policies, the Japanese group said. Their first collaborative work will be inspired by past works of the 72-year-old Tomino.
In addition, the two sides decided to work with Iwanami Shoten Publishers to make children's books into movies.
"I feel like I'm boarding a new fighter jet. I believe I can create one or two more movies (through the collaboration)," Tomino said at a news conference in Tokyo.