20TH CENTURY FOX TO RELEASE DRAGONBALL AUGUST 15, 2008
Based on the popular Japanese manga – which spawned best selling graphic novels, video games and a phenomenally successful TV series
Rising Star Justin Chatwin (WAR OF THE WORLDS) cast as heroic Goku,
Legendary Filmmaker Stephen Chow (KUNG FU HUSTLE) Produces, and James Wong (FINAL DESTINATION) Directs
LOS ANGELES (November 13, 2007) _ Twentieth Century Fox will release the science fiction-adventure DRAGONBALL worldwide on August 15, 2008. The film, which begins production later this year, is based on the popular Japanese manga created by Akira Toriyama, whose work spawned best selling graphic novels, video games and a phenomenally successful television series.
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.
Fan favorite James Marsters, best known for his role as the charismatic vampire Spike on the seminal fantasy series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel,” will portray the principal antagonist, Piccolo. Other major roles are currently being cast.
DRAGONBALL is produced by legendary filmmaker Stephen Chow whose best known films as an actor, director and screenwriter have featured a unique blend of martial arts action, CGI and comedy; Chow’s notable credits include the hits SHAOLIN SOCCER and KUNG FU HUSTLE. The director is James Wong, formerly an executive producer/writer on the noted genre series “The X-Files,” “Millennium” and “Space: Above and Beyond” – and the co-writer/director of the big-screen hits FINAL DESTINATION and FINAL DESTINATION 3.
The Jump Comics division of the Tokyo-based publishing house Shueisha is the publisher of the DRAGONBALL manga.
