The iconic 'Astro Boy' Japanese cartoon is getting a live action adaptation for the big screen, making it its first feature since its animated return back in 2009.

Australia's Animal Logic Entertainment has partnered with Japan's Tezuka Productions to bring the project to life. Zareh Nalbandian from Animal Logic Entertainment and Jason Lust are currently producing it.

"Animal Logic is known mainly for its special effects work, ranging from groundbreaking efforts in Happy Feet to this summer's Avengers: Age of Ultron, but it also has, since 2007, a development arm that is fostering a slate comprising live-action, hybrid and special effects-heavy projects," writes Hollywood Reporter.

'Astro Boy' was created by Osamu Tezuka over 60 years ago and started out as a comic strip before being adapted as an anime. Tezuka has been praised for being known as Japan's Walt Disney.

"Astro (Boy) is a robot boy created by a scientist as a replacement for the man's dead son. After going on a Pinocchio-style adventure, he ends up with a new owner and a new mission: to fight evil (in human or robot form) using his many superpowers," writes Hollywood Reporter.

The 2009 animated film was the first time Hollywood was able to bring the film to the big screen, although box office wise the movie didn't do too well.

Animal Logic has big plans for this adaptation.

"We've seen him as a manga, an anime and an animated movie but we've never seen him as a live-action movie or him as a superhero," states Nalbandian, "We actually see him in the same league as an Iron Man."

They want to take advantage of many of the characters that haven't yet been recognized within the series.

"We want to make it aspirational but not soft," he adds.