Gerry Anderson’s Firestorm is GO!
Having successfully launched the new Gerry Anderson project, Firestorm, on the crowd-funding platform Kickstarter, Gerry’s son, Jamie Anderson has now raised enough money to exceed the project’s second ‘stretch goal’, providing enough extra money to build – and then destroy in a tremendous explosion – evil Black Orchid’s technology centre on their island base.
Having raised the minimum needed in less than 96 hours, the project is now focusing on reaching its ‘stretch goal’ of £135,000 to make a 22 minute pilot episode.
Fans of iconic Gerry Anderson shows like Space: 1999, Stingray, Captain Scarlet, UFO and Thunderbirds can now back the project to help fund the pilot episode in return for special limited edition rewards from props and collector edition DVDs, to set visits and film credits.
Firestorm is a Gerry Anderson concept that was originally produced and released by a Japanese company as an anime series across Japan and South East Asia in 2003. This new version of the Gerry Anderson concept has been redeveloped from Gerry’s original synopsis and story outline documents.
The funding already raised from the Kickstarter campaign now ensures that a mini pilot episode will be made with a new filming technique called ‘Ultramarionation’, the next stage in evolution from the famous ‘Supermarionation’ technique of Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet, using a combination of puppetry, practical effects, physical props and sets, and model miniatures.
Jamie Anderson, Managing Director of Anderson Entertainment and son of Gerry Anderson, MBE, says, “Over 1,000 fans from all over the world have rallied round to help get my dad’s project off the ground. Now that we’ve raised the extra money needed, I’m looking forward to destroying my father’s Black Orchid legacy in an almighty and thunderous explosion!”
The campaign has already raised enough to produce a 5-8 minute minisode introducing some of the characters and storyline elements of the series. The next ‘stretch goals’ will allow for further development of characters, storyline, scenes and explosions up to a 22 minute pilot episode if £135,000 is raised and a full 45 minute feature episode if £342,000 is raised.
As Mr Anderson sums it up, “The worldwide support for Firestorm from Gerry Anderson fans has been fantastic, and we’re now hoping to raise enough money for a full-length feature episode. With a fair wind and a bit more luck, Firestorm will be on your TV screen in the very near future!”
