Anime has an infinite reach and a level of influence that often goes unrecognized. Some of the biggest storytellers in the film industry are staunch anime fans who have channeled the medium’s explosive stories into their own narratives. James Cameron and Guillermo del Toro are two modern masters who have broken critical and commercial records with their creations. Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Avatar, Titanic, Pan’s Labyrinth, and Frankenstein are all incredible accomplishments in cinematic storytelling. Cameron and del Toro’s filmographies both represent cutting-edge genre filmmakers who are absolutely fearless with their passions.
That being said, Cameron and del Toro have a close-knit relationship where they consider each other to be brothers. This bond even briefly included a period during the early ‘90s when the two filmmakers were living together. The two gave each other notes and guidance on their respective film projects, but they also bonded through their shared love of anime and the titles that they were able to introduce to each other, like Patlabor and Battle Angel Alita.
Patlabor’s Philosophical Breakdown Of Technology Makes It A Mecha Masterpiece
James Cameron and Guillermo del Toro are collaborative filmmakers who still value feedback from their peers. Their early days as burgeoning directors were filled with creative resources that would go on to become influences in their work. This included del Toro sharing Patlabor with Cameron, while Cameron exposed del Toro to the Gunnm manga, which is the framework for Battle Angel Alita. It’s both rewarding and humbling to picture these two monumental voices in the film industry as two passionate anime fans who were excited to share their favorite series.
Patlabor makes sense as an anime that del Toro and Cameron would bond over due to how it mixes standard mecha stereotypes with higher-minded storytelling that deconstructs terrorism, bureaucratic dissolution, and the slippery slope of peace. The franchise’s futuristic setting turns phenomenal mecha technology into the new normal. It brings an unprecedented level of grounded realism and blue-collar drama to the mecha genre, while still unpacking loftier subject matter like political and societal revolution.
Patlabor’s secret ingredient is that Mamoru Oshii is the franchise’s creative mastermind. Oshii is best known for challenging philosophical anime like Ghost in the Shell and Angel’s Egg. Oshii’s compulsion to look inward and question reality shares a lot in common with Cameron and del Toro’s own cinematic perspectives. Del Toro and Cameron’s interest in Patlabor has less to do with the fact that it involves giant robots and is instead more interested in what it does with these tried and true mecha fundamentals. It’s the world-building that matters most.
Battle Angel Alita covers very different territory than Patlabor, but there’s still a lot of thematic overlap in these grounded, gritty sci-fi series. They’re both complementary texts and it’s easy to picture Cameron and del Toro both building upon their original ideas after experiencing the other’s respective anime and manga passion. Patlabor and Battle Angel Alita’s themes and subject matter have become major influences on both directors’ careers in subtle and explicit ways.
Anime Is A Major Influence On Both Cameron & Del Toro’s Filmographies
Patlabor and Battle Angel Alita were texts that helped Cameron and del Toro bond and deepen their communal love of anime. This enthusiasm for the medium has carried over to their filmographies, both of which are deeply influenced by anime. Del Toro’s Pacific Rim, for instance, is heavily inspired by Patlabor, while also incorporating his love of Gundam, Voltron, and kaiju stories. Pacific Rim becomes so much more than a Patlabor clone, yet it still gives a decent blueprint of what a del Toro-directed Patlabor movie might look like.
It’s also rather fascinating that Pacific Rim would later receive an anime expansion, Pacific Rim: The Black, which brings this idea full circle. A del Toro-backed mecha film gets turned into an anime that functions as the modern update of Patlabor. It’s a beautiful feedback loop of inspiration. There was also a lengthy period in which del Toro was interested in adapting Naoki Urasawa’s Monster into a live-action HBO series. Del Toro’s Monster adaptation didn’t come to pass, but it’s still the most overt instance of him working on an anime.
Alternatively, Cameron also treated a proper Battle Angel Alita adaptation as his dream project. Cameron was determined to direct the adaptation, only to pass these duties over to Robert Rodriguez. Cameron would still co-write Alita: Battle Angel’s screenplay and produce the picture. Cameron also remains steadfast in eventually making Alita: Battle Angel sequels a reality. Between Pacific Rim and Alita: Battle Angel, del Toro and Cameron turned their anime hangout sessions into million-dollar franchises.
Cameron has also been quite candid about anime’s natural influence in his other movies, whether it’s Terminator, The Abyss, or Avatar, the latter of which draws from both Princess Mononoke and Ghost in the Shell. In fact, Cameron has also spoken about putting together an anime Avatar anthology film that’s akin to The Animatrix. Cameron’s positive relationship with Oshii and Katsuhiro Otomo could lead to a very exciting collaboration. Cameron directing an anime short that’s set in the Avatar universe would be such a satisfying blend of sensibilities.
Cameron & Del Toro Could Still Collaborate On A Patlabor Movie
There is no shortage of live-action anime adaptations and it’s only a matter of time before something like Patlabor receives an American makeover. Ideally, someone like Cameron or del Toro would be involved to help make sure that it doesn’t just become a generic robot franchise. Patlabor actually has a curious history with live-action adaptations. The Next Generation: Patlabor is a live-action Japanese series that’s set a decade after Patlabor 2. The Next Generation: Patlabor was an exciting reimagining in 2014 that featured many accomplished writers and directors, but was largely led by Mamoru Oshii.
Considering Cameron’s friendship with Oshii, it’s possible that there’s a series of events in which Cameron helped direct some of this Patlabor series. Unfortunately, The Next Generation: Patlabor’s production likely conflicted with his Avatar: The Way of Water duties. Otherwise, this is exactly the sort of project that Cameron would have been interested in jumping into for a short period and testing out some new techniques.
Patlabor is currently set up for a reboot of sorts with its upcoming entry, Patlabor EZY. The eight-episode anime is designed as a modernized take on the mecha franchise, set even further along in its futuristic timeline. Cameron and del Toro are not involved with Patlabor EZY. That being said, the new series could revive interest in the franchise so that there’s renewed enthusiasm for an Americanized Patlabor. Patlabor would be a worthy place for Cameron to pivot if the Alita: Battle Angel sequel isn’t happening. If nothing else, del Toro and Cameron will hopefully binge-watch Patlabor EZY together.
