Imagi Still Planning Gatchaman Movie

Apparently Imagi really lives hand-to-mouth, and reports earlier this week suggested that the 50%-done AstroBoy project had been shut down.

From io9:

Imagi is funded by private equity firms, and the company had received some funding last year. A new round of funding was set to kick in on Feb 3, but in the meantime the company was counting on some "bridge financing" to cover expenses between now and early February.

When that "bridge financing" looked like it might not materialize, the only responsible thing to do was shut down the company's U.S. offices for a week... Everyone, including the animators, was put on "mandatory unpaid leave," until the new round of financing comes in on Feb. 3. [Assuming it will.]

At this point Imagi is still saying it wants Gatchaman to happen, and Imagi US President Erin Corbett is currently seeking sponsorship from major companies like General Mills and Kraft. This would mean lots of tie-ins and merchandising.