Arclight and Axxis pop for Bubblegum Crisis

Arclight Films and Singapore's Axxis International are among the companies involved in a six-country collaboration to produce a $30m live-action feature based on Japanese anime series Bubblegum Crisis.

The other co-producers are Tokyo-based Anime International Company (AIC), China's Infotainment, Canada's Wizzfilms and the UK's Latec International.

The project is the first co-production between the six nations and also aims to become the first feature made under the tripartite Singapore-Australia, Australia-Canada and Canada-Singapore co-production treaties.

The producers are currently in talks to secure a director and cast for the project which is scheduled for worldwide release by early 2012.

Principle photography will take place in Australia, with post-production work carried out by Mokko Studio - a partner studio of Wizzfilms - in Canada. Mokko's team includes Anthony LaMolinara, who won a visual effects Oscar for Spider-Man 2.

First produced by AIC from 1987 as an eight-part straight-to-video series, Bubblegum Crisis follows a group of female vigilantes as they protect their city from deadly machines.

- Story by Liz Shackleton, Screen Daily