-
While 2008 was a high-profile year for movies adapted from comic books (Iron Man, The Dark Knight), 2009 had its own army of super properties arrayed on the big screen — nine notables all tallied, including the highly anticipated Watchmen.
So, how did this year's movies stack up? We take a look back, identifying the 2009 Comic Book Movies: Winners and Losers. And here's a bonus tip for studios that just can't be repeated enough: Don't turn an anime property into a live-action movie.
Posted 11.24.09 by reelz -
The movie wasn't screened for critics but we got fan reaction to the movie at last night's first showing. See what the fans thought.
Posted 04.10.09 by reelz -
The first live-action Dragonball movie won't open in theaters un til this Friday, however a sequel has already been planned. Justin Chatwin, who plays Goku in the movie, told MTV:
I know they've written a second one andit's pretty far out there. The second one really goes to some different places that I've never seen in any comic book adaptation.
Chatwin is also anxious to continue in the role and with the franchise, should it become one. Said Chatwin:
We’re going to get to Dragonball Z later, wherePiccolo becomes youthful and he’s going to become the Piccolo that mostpeople recognize.
Director James Wong was more realistic about the future on the Dragonball franchise, saying that even with a script for a sequel, the real green light won't happen unless Dragonball Evolution performs well at the box office.
Posted 04.05.09 by Ryan -
Five short spots for Dragonball Evolution went online, so take a minute to meet the characters in this cartoon-to-live-action adaptation.
Goku (Justin Chatwin)
Lord Piccolo (James Marsters):
Bulma (Emmy Rossum):
Roshi (Chow Yun Fat):
Chi Chi (Jamie Chung):
The spots aren't huge on detail, so learn more with our introductory guide to Dragonball.
Posted 03.19.09 by reelz -
Reports back from the 2009 Toy Fair in New York offer first looks at the Terminator Salvation, Watchman, and Dragonball Evolution product lines. Check out the picture-filled displays over posted over at MTV. The goodies up for viewing weren't limited to toys though. The Watchmen display included everything from a themed doormat, to a Rorschach ski mask, to "a framed display case featuring The Comedian's dog tags and a pair of guns given to him in 'Watchmen' by US President Richard Nixon."
The one sour note at the Fair was sounded by the Lego representative, who explained that "there are no plans on producing any new Harry Potter sets. With the films getting darker, it has become very hard to produce kid-friendly sets."
Posted 02.17.09 by reelz -
In this clip you get to see a lot more martial arts action between the bad guy Piccolo (James Marsters) and the hero Goku (Justin Chatwin) -- and even a quick glimpse at the mystical dragon Shenron.
In the original storyline, Shenron is the guardian of the dragonballs of Earth and grants a wish to whoever gathers all seven.
Posted 02.05.09 by reelz -
Posters for the upcoming, officially renamed Dragonball Evolution are now available courtesy of IGN, and you can also see a few live action stills. That's hardly enough, so why not check out the international trailer as well:
Posted 12.15.08 by reelz -
Finally, some good news for beleaguered Dragonball fans. Okay, it's not necessarily good news, but it's better than some of us had anticipated. MTV's Shawn Adler chased down star Jamie Chung, who plays Chi Chi in the live-action adaptation of the hugely popular manga/anime series, to find out about the rumors of re-shoots that have plagued the production in recent weeks. "I think it's just one scene that they're gonna have to reshoot and it's the end fight," Chung told Adler. "I fortunately will not have to go back. I think it's the big fight between Justin Chatwin and James Marsters."
Good to hear that it's only one scene that they have to re-shoot. Presumably it's the one pictured above which, now that we look at it, does seem kind of low-tech and cheesy. Hopefully director James Wong will do something to fix up the background, which in this instance looks like something out of a Sid and Marty Krofft show, for the re-shoot.
Posted 12.09.08 by reelz -
The roller-coaster ride for Dragonball fans continues. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the title of Fox's upcoming live-action adaptation of the popular manga/anime series will soon be changed to Dragonball Evolution. While Fox has yet to make an official announcement regarding the change, the movie's new title has reportedly appeared on internal marketing memos circulating around the studio.
We'll be sure to keep you posted as new details emerge.
Posted 12.04.08 by reelz -
It looks like Dragonball fans will have to wait a little bit longer for their first official glimpse of Fox's live-action adaptation of Akira Toriyama's hugely popular manga/anime series. The Dragonball trailer had been set to debut on December 12 in front of IMAX screenings of Keanu Reeves' The Day the Earth Stood Still remake, but news emerged early this morning on dragonballmovieblog.net that it will not be ready in time for the deadline. A source at Fox has confirmed to us that the Dragonball trailer debut has indeed been pushed back, and that a new date has not yet been determined.
Any number of issues could account for the delay, but we're guessing that problems were encountered while tailoring the CGI-heavy trailer for the expanded IMAX format, which projects at 70mm -- as opposed to the 35mm film used in conventional theaters.
Whatever the case, we'll be sure to keep you posted as more details emerge on this latest setback for one of 2009's most-anticipated movies. Until then, check out our Dragonball preview.
Posted 12.03.08 by reelz