Producer Joseph Chou (Halo Legends, Appleseed: Ex Machina) told ANN that the live-action film adaptation of the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime that he is producing is still "very active." Chou said that there is still a lot of red tape to get through, but "once that's resolved, I think it would be on the fast track, so we're hoping that it'll start moving even next year."
Chou said that "right now we're with a producer and a studio that really understands beyond the whole mecha impact." Chou added, "They're really looking beyond that, and really looking at drama, human elements, even to those elements that appeal to otaku."
Chou also blamed the anime market crash for the slowdown in the film's progress. Chou said, "The reason it stopped in its tracks was not because [John Ledford, co-founder of A.D. Vision and ADV Films] wasn't paying attention to it … he actually amassed a considerable amount of money, financing, for the film … but then I think he just needed to stop, because the whole market was falling apart at that time," and so the movie "fell on the wayside."
The film was first announced at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.