Canada.com reported that 20th Century Fox had planned on filming the Dragonball movie in Montreal via green screen, much like the movie “300.” Soon after, 20th Century Fox issued a press release, confirming the director, producer, and stunt company.
Press Release: 20th Century Fox Films … The manga, novels and series bring to the film a rich mythology and exciting, complex characters – all of which have captivated millions of fans, of all ages, around the globe. One of the greatest manga franchises ever created, DRAGONBALL has an enormous online fanbase and is consistently one of the most frequently searched-for terms on Google and Yahoo! DRAGONBALL has exploded into a global phenomenon that has generated more than four billion dollars in merchandising sales. It is considered the gold standard of anime-based video games, with more than 25 different games and over ten million units sold since May 2002. The series – 500 episodes strong – posted top ratings in Europe, Asia and the U.S. Rising star Justin Chatwin, who portrayed Tom Cruise’s son in Steven Spielberg’s WAR OF THE WORLDS, takes on the lead role of the heroic Goku, a powerful warrior who protects the Earth from an endless stream of rogues bent on dominating the Universe and controlling the mystical objects from which the film takes its name. Chatwin has already begun a rigorous training regimen under the auspices of the premier stunt performance company, 87Eleven, which has executed or designed some of the biggest action pieces ever seen on film, in pictures such as THE MATRIX, THE BOURNE SUPREMACY, MR. & MRS. SMITH, and 300.
Press Release: 20th Century Fox Films … The manga, novels and series bring to the film a rich mythology and exciting, complex characters – all of which have captivated millions of fans, of all ages, around the globe. One of the greatest manga franchises ever created, DRAGONBALL has an enormous online fanbase and is consistently one of the most frequently searched-for terms on Google and Yahoo! DRAGONBALL has exploded into a global phenomenon that has generated more than four billion dollars in merchandising sales. It is considered the gold standard of anime-based video games, with more than 25 different games and over ten million units sold since May 2002. The series – 500 episodes strong – posted top ratings in Europe, Asia and the U.S.
Rising star Justin Chatwin, who portrayed Tom Cruise’s son in Steven Spielberg’s WAR OF THE WORLDS, takes on the lead role of the heroic Goku, a powerful warrior who protects the Earth from an endless stream of rogues bent on dominating the Universe and controlling the mystical objects from which the film takes its name.
Chatwin has already begun a rigorous training regimen under the auspices of the premier stunt performance company, 87Eleven, which has executed or designed some of the biggest action pieces ever seen on film, in pictures such as THE MATRIX, THE BOURNE SUPREMACY, MR. & MRS. SMITH, and 300.
The press release confirmed James Wong was hired to direct, Stephen Chow was hired to produce, and 87Eleven was hired to do the stunts. The reports on filming in Montreal were false, however, and filming was actually done in Durango, Mexico. The film has recently wrapped filming and is now in post production.
James Wong rewrote the previous draft by Ben Ramsey, with help from Stephen Chow who has given James advice and guidance on the script.
The film is currently scheduled for an April 10th, 2009 release in North America and a March 2009 release in Japan. The movie has a budget of around $100 million dollars, and the movie’s runtime is estimated to be about 100 minutes.
Q - Why not Dragonball Z? A - This movie is an adaptation of the King Piccolo and Piccolo JR. sagas of Dragonball. However, it will also contain important elements from the first season of Dragonball, such as Bulma running over Goku with her car by accident, and Goku training with Master Roshi. It’s the most important parts of Dragonball in one movie.
Since Dragonball technically comes before Dragonball Z, it only makes sense to start with it. Vegeta, Nappa, Trunks, and other Dragonball Z-exclusive characters will NOT be in this movie for the obvious reason that they didn’t appear in Dragonball.
Q - Why is Justin Chatwin Goku? A – Justin Chatwin (War of the Worlds, The Invisible) auditioned for the role and got the part. It’s important to remember that this is an adaptation, and James Wong must have seen that Chatwin could be faithful to his interpretation. Justin seems thrilled to play Goku, too!
I think it is an honor to play Goku. He is a universal character, as if a reincarnation of Luke Skywalker, and a really great character to play. Goku always takes action himself, is positive thinking, helps the weak. He had a great influence on myself. - Roadshow magazine, July 7th 2008 issue.
For a complete and detailed look at the cast, visit the cast page.
Q – Goku will be in high school? A – Yes, in this adaptation Goku will attend high school for a brief period of time. For comparison, watch the first “Spiderman” movie and count the amount of minutes Peter Parker attended high school in the movie. Chances are, high school will play an incredibly short part in this movie as well.
As proof, Texas Battle (school bully) and other high school extras finished filming in about two days. Two days of filming in a Hollywood movie is a short amount of time. It is estimated that the high school scenes will last around 5-10 minutes, if that.
Q – Why has Goku been changed? A – Unfortunately, I haven’t read the script yet, and chances are neither have you. Because this is an adaptation, we can only assume the change fits the movie. It is also important to note Goku is 18 in this movie, so he will be graduating (or dropping out of) school, and in sequels school will be non-existent. It’s best to be patient and trust the filmmakers.
Q – Will there be sequels? A – It has been stated they plan on making the series into a trilogy. This entirely depends on box office success, so watch the movie upon release if you want to see more!
Q – Will the movie be mostly CGI and defeat the purpose of live-action? A – Actually, no. 85% of the movie is being filmed in Durango, with little green screen. You might think it’s impossible to find landscape that looks like the scenery in the anime, but recent pictures have shown Durango is very capable of providing a realistic recreation of the series. And, of course, green screen can help.
A portion of the film will be shot in Los Angeles (no doubt with green and blue screen). You can expect something great, because the budget is fairly high. The hair will not be CGI, but instead wigs or natural hair will be used.
Q – Who is Lord Piccolo? Wasn’t he a good guy? A – Later in the series Piccolo turns good, but originally Lord Piccolo was the baddest guy in town. James Marsters (Buffy, Angel) will play Lord Piccolo, the ancient leader of a demonic race. He will be green, old, and decrepit. But, don’t take my word for it, read what the actor himself has said:
TV Guide: You’re plunging into a big sci-fi feature next. Can you talk about the live-action Dragonball? Marsters: Dragonball is the coolest television cartoon in the last 50,000 years. Its only failing is that the female characters aren’t drawn well — we’re going to fix that in the movie. It’s got a Shakespearean sense of good and evil and there are incredible action scenes with characters of unbelievable power. It’s going to be really visually exciting. I was told the budget is about $100 million. TV Guide: Nice to know you’re so enthusiastic. Who do you play? Marsters: Lord Piccolo. He’s thousands of years old and a very long time ago he used to be a force of good but got into a bad argument and was put into prison for 2,000 years. It got him very angry, and he finds a way to escape and then tries to destroy the world. The cool thing is, anybody who has seen Dragonball knows that Lord Piccolo transforms into a character named Piccolo, and that is a whole other ball of wax. That is one of the most popular characters in the whole series. I’ve been told I’m working for people who will just flay me alive if I give too much information, but what I can tell you is the character is green, bald and has pointed ears. Heroic wouldn’t be the wrong term by the end, but it’s a long journey.
TV Guide: You’re plunging into a big sci-fi feature next. Can you talk about the live-action Dragonball? Marsters: Dragonball is the coolest television cartoon in the last 50,000 years. Its only failing is that the female characters aren’t drawn well — we’re going to fix that in the movie. It’s got a Shakespearean sense of good and evil and there are incredible action scenes with characters of unbelievable power. It’s going to be really visually exciting. I was told the budget is about $100 million.
TV Guide: Nice to know you’re so enthusiastic. Who do you play? Marsters: Lord Piccolo. He’s thousands of years old and a very long time ago he used to be a force of good but got into a bad argument and was put into prison for 2,000 years. It got him very angry, and he finds a way to escape and then tries to destroy the world. The cool thing is, anybody who has seen Dragonball knows that Lord Piccolo transforms into a character named Piccolo, and that is a whole other ball of wax. That is one of the most popular characters in the whole series. I’ve been told I’m working for people who will just flay me alive if I give too much information, but what I can tell you is the character is green, bald and has pointed ears. Heroic wouldn’t be the wrong term by the end, but it’s a long journey.
James is signed on for two more films. For more information on James Marsters and Piccolo, check out the James Marsters category.
Q - Who will be scoring Dragonball? A - We were actually first to confirm that Brian Tyler would be scoring Dragonball. Check out the original post!
Q - Will there be humor? A - Like the anime, the movie will also contain humor. It’s too early to tell how much or what kind.
Q - What will the fighting be like? A - It’s too early to tell, but since 87Eleven is doing the stunts, it might be similar to “The Matrix.” But, since James Wong is directing, it might be similar to “The One.” When we see a teaser trailer, we will have a better idea. For video comparisons on different fighting styles, check out this post.
Q - Why did Fox move the release date from August 15th, 2008 to April 3rd, 2009 to April 8th, 2009 to April 10th 2009? A - It was moved from August 15th, 2008 to April 3rd, 2009 because Fox realized they had no time for post production. It was then moved from April 3rd, 2009 to April 8th because of Easter break (and Gatchaman is being released on April 3rd, 2009). It was then moved again from April 8th to April 10th because the 10th is a Friday.
Q - When will promotion start? A - Promotion in Japan, it seems, has already started! As for America, Fox commented that promotion would start in the summer. A teaser trailer will probably be released in the summer as well. The official movie website can be located at www.dragonballthemovie.com, but at the moment it will only redirect you to the 20th Century Fox website.
