It's got all the ingredients of a surefire box office smash: mind-blowing special effects, a sprawling, epic storyline and a legion of devoted fans who have been waiting decades for a big screen, big budget adaptation. Yes, Toho Studio's new live action 'Space Battleship Yamato' feature seems destined to be the perfect blockbuster, except for one small problem -- most moviegoers in America don't even know it exists.

'Space Battleship Yamato,' of course, was the groundbreaking Japanese cartoon that became a sensation when it hit American television under the title 'Star Blazers' back in 1979. Detailing a ragtag group of astronauts's desperate mission to retrieve advanced technology from a distant planet in order to prevent Earth's imminent destruction by aliens, 'Star Blazers' is beloved by a whole generation who, as kids, found in the show's mature themes and engaging storyline not just an antidote to the more simplistic American cartoons of the time period, but also a perfect follow-up to 'Star Wars.' It's got all the ingredients of a surefire box office smash: mind-blowing special effects, a sprawling, epic storyline and a legion of devoted fans who have been waiting decades for a big screen, big budget adaptation. Yes, Toho Studio's new live action 'Space Battleship Yamato' feature seems destined to be the perfect blockbuster, except for one small problem -- most moviegoers in America don't even know it exists.

'Space Battleship Yamato,' of course, was the groundbreaking Japanese cartoon that became a sensation when it hit American television under the title 'Star Blazers' back in 1979. Detailing a ragtag group of astronauts's desperate mission to retrieve advanced technology from a distant planet in order to prevent Earth's imminent destruction by aliens, 'Star Blazers' is beloved by a whole generation who, as kids, found in the show's mature themes and engaging storyline not just an antidote to the more simplistic American cartoons of the time period, but also a perfect follow-up to 'Star Wars.'

That seems fitting considering that some believe 'Space Battleship Yamato,' which debuted in Japan in 1974, was a direct influence on George Lucas's creation of 'Star Wars.' Whether that's true or not, though, there's no denying the show's influence on American culture; the success of the series not only helped introduce anime and manga to American youth, a trend that has grown exponentially in the decades since, it also directly paved the way for higher profile Japanese imports such as 'Transformers' and 'Robotech.'

And considering Hollywood's recent trend of mining early 80's nostalgia -- which has included 'The A-Team,' 'G. I. Joe' and the 'Transformers' franchise, which has brought in a staggering $1.54 billion worldwide by itself -- a live-action version of 'Space Battleship Yamato' would seem likely to hit it big at the box office. At least one Hollywood studio agrees: Back in 1997, Disney bought the film rights and went full steam ahead with an Americanized adaptation penned by Oscar Award-nominated screenwriter Tab Murphy. That project, however, was ultimately derailed after Michael Eisner's departure.

Which brings us back to the new Toho Studios version of 'Space Battleship Yamato.' With a story based on the fan-favorite plotline from the first season, Toho -- which, as the largest studio in Japan and home to Godzilla, certainly has the resources and know-how to pull of a Hollywood-style blockbuster -- has put together a live-action space adventure that has been building buzz in Japan since the project was first announced. With the finished product now set to debut on December 1, hype for 'Space Battleship Yamato' is already nearing fever pitch thanks to the first full-length trailer, which landed on June 28.

Yet other than a few dedicated sci-fi fan sites (such as our pals at SciFi Squad), that hype has yet to reach America, where nostalgic fans primed by 'Transformers' would seem to be a tailor-made audience. And the reason for the silence is simple: Toho has yet to announce a U.S. release for the film, meaning that, unlikely as it may seem, it's possible that American fans may not get a chance to see the film in theaters at all.

Of course, there are some logistic issues facing 'Space Battleship Yamato' that could pose legitimate problems for the studio, foremost being the question of whether to present the film with subtitles or overdub voices in English. Considering the success other international action blockbusters like 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' have had with subtitles, though, this seems like a fairly easy roadblock to overcome. And it's clear that the demand is there; despite the lack of a release date and no American marketing campaign at all, the trailer for 'Space Battleship Yamato' has already racked up over 225,000 hits on YouTube thanks mainly to word of mouth among 'Star Blazers' fans.

So will America get a chance to see 'Space Battleship Yamato' in theaters? Or will it remain the biggest potential blockbuster America has never heard of? Only time will tell. For now, though, take a look at the trailer for 'Space Battleship Yamato' and decide for yourself whether or not this movie deserves a worldwide release: