Katsuhiro Otomo's anime feature film Steam Boy, which was supposed to be released this fall, has been postponed until 2004.  According to the Animaxis website Otomo himself announced the delay.  The creator of the Akira manga and anime has been working on Steam Boy since 1995 (see 'Otomo's Steam Boy Anime Due In 2003') and the budget has ballooned to 2.4 billion yen (close to $20 million), which matches the amount spent on the Studio Ghibli films such as the Oscar-winning Spirited Away.

 

Bandai Visual, which is the main backer for the Otomo film, has already announced that the postponement will have an effect on the company's 2003 performance.  The reason given for the delay involves the final scenes in the film, which have proved more costly and time-consuming that anticipated.