Gedo Senki release delayed by SciFi Channel franchise rights

In a recent interview with the NY Times, Tales of Earthsea book author Ursula K. Le Guin has revealed that Goro Miyazaki's anime adpatation (Gedo Senki) of her books won't be released in North America until the Sci-Fi channel (who recently worked on live action TV series based on the same material) relax their rights to the franchise. Although the Sci-Fi channel are yet to comment on this, their control over the Earthsea franchise is said to end in 2009, but obviously that's still a long time to wait.

Naturally this news will directly impact on the possibility of a UK release too. Though on occasion Optimum Asia (who have released the vast majority of Studio Ghibli anime in the UK) have released subtitled only DVDs, with a movie as big as Gedo Senki, no doubt they will want to benefit from an American produced and expensive English dub to help boost sales.

This is really not new news. Her first interview saying her impressions on the film a few months back, commented that the Sci-fi channel still retain North American rights until 2009, and that Gedo Senki wouldn't be released before then.

I also did think of the Optimum Asia/Madman angle as a sub-only release. I wouldn't totally rule out Manga entertainment picking it up either, as they are able to do their own quality dubbing. Sony would be another potential licensor.

I think if Optimum know this, and they know their fans know this, they would be able to sacrifice a dub to get it to the fans. Otherwise they won't have any Ghilbi releases for quite a while...

And why is everyone ruling out Disney... "persuading" the Sci-Fi channel to hand over their rights? Disney is RICH! They could buy the bloody Sci-Fi channel! =P

They could also have paid more to the BBFC to have the proper subtitles on their Studio Ghibli DVDs instead of making them the same, or even worse, than the 'adapted' script of the dub. But they didn't.

It seems that part of the reason that they're so rich is that, as a whole, they can also be an absolute miser whose only aim is to reap profits from the general public, with only the minimum accommodation made to the fans. But I did kind of like the cover artwork for the 3 Ghibli collection DVDs that they released here.

I don't know what to make of it, all I've heard about this movie is different things, I'll wait for now, since I like... own all of Ghibli's movies near enough.

Turtleheart said:

They could also have paid more to the BBFC to have the proper subtitles on their Studio Ghibli DVDs instead of making them the same, or even worse, than the 'adapted' script of the dub. But they didn't.

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The Optimum DVDs change that. They're proper subtitles.

Some of the things Disney do with the dubs is annoying though. Like in Whispers Of The Heart, they edited the script to tone down such controversial subjects as going abroad and marriage.

Espy said:

I think if Optimum know this, and they know their fans know this, they would be able to sacrifice a dub to get it to the fans. Otherwise they won't have any Ghilbi releases for quite a while...

And why is everyone ruling out Disney... "persuading" the Sci-Fi channel to hand over their rights? Disney is RICH! They could buy the bloody Sci-Fi channel! =P

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Sci-Fi is owned by Universal Studios so basically they are even in how many lawyers they both can retain. However this issue relates only for the North American release. I find no reason why Optimum together with Madman couldn't bring their license here and dub it in the UK, unless Disney puts an injunction on a dub to protect against back importing. :wink:

Mohawk52 said:

Espy said:

I think if Optimum know this, and they know their fans know this, they would be able to sacrifice a dub to get it to the fans. Otherwise they won't have any Ghilbi releases for quite a while...

And why is everyone ruling out Disney... "persuading" the Sci-Fi channel to hand over their rights? Disney is RICH! They could buy the bloody Sci-Fi channel! =P

Click to expand...

Sci-Fi is owned by Universal Studios so basically they are even in how many lawyers they both can retain. However this issue relates only for the North American release. I find no reason why Optimum together with Madman couldn't bring their license here and dub it in the UK, unless Disney puts an injunction on a dub to protect against back importing. :wink:

Click to expand...

Disney or any other US distributor has no rights to anything produced outside of the US so the only thing they could even attempt is to prevent people in the US importing it and that wouldn't suit America's free economy and would ultimately fall on its arse.

A great many films these days are made outside of America just so that the American actors' trade unions and studios can't get in way of the process and spin their own ideas into it.