Anime Movie News


Cage, Nighy & Sutherland Join ASTROBOY

By: Jarrod Sarafin
Date: Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Source: Imagi Press Release

Summit Entertainment and Imagi Studios have entered into a global alliance whereby Summit will distribute Imagi's upcoming CG-animated motion picture Astro Boy worldwide except for Imagi's reserved territories of Japan, Hong Kong and China. The announcement was made jointly by Rob Friedman, Co-Chairman and CEO of Summit Entertainment and Douglas Glen, CEO of Imagi Studios.

"We are pleased to join with Imagi Studios in bringing the exceptional world of 'Astro Boy' to both existing and a new generation of fans alike," said Friedman. "The team at Imagi Studios is capturing the spirit of this popular post-modern franchise by doing great things with the story, characters and animation. 'Astro Boy' promises to be an excellent addition to our existing slate of family films."

Glen said, "'Astro Boy' has been one of the world's best-known and most loved superheroes for more than fifty years. We are pleased to partner with Summit to deliver 'Astro Boy''s first CGI feature film to worldwide audiences on a grand scale. Imagi and Summit are a great fit, with high energy, entrepreneurial cultures and a vision of building movie-driven global brands."

Slated for worldwide theatrical release in 2009, "Astro Boy" will feature the voices of Academy Award®-winning actor Nicolas Cage, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy and Eugene Levy with Freddie Highmore in the title role. David Bowers is directing ASTRO BOY from a screenplay written by Timothy Harris, with Maryann Garger producing.


ASTRO BOY was created by the "god of manga", Japan's Osamu Tezuka, in the early 1950s. The iconic character has since found wide popularity around the world as the hero of three acclaimed animated television series spanning the past four decades, besides being one of the top licensed properties for merchandising.

Set in futuristic Metro City, Imagi Studios' Astro Boy is about a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist to replace the son he has lost. Unable to fulfill the grieving father's expectations, our hero embarks on a journey in search of acceptance, experiencing betrayal and a netherworld of robot gladiators, before he returns to save Metro City and reconcile with the man who had rejected him.

Astro Boy is the second CG-animated feature film from Imagi Studios, following its 2007 release TMNT.

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Comments/Responses
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wolfmanX • Jun 17, 2008, 05:05am •
That poster is HOT. I cant wait to see the trailer.

monkeyfoot • Jun 17, 2008, 06:58am •
Yeah, if this movie is half as good as that poster, I'm there on opening day.

captm0rgan77 • Jun 17, 2008, 07:20am •
I don't know about this one. I've never really been a fan of the franchise. A little robot boy running around in what looks like 50's style jockeys? Ummm ... not for me. The poster does look cool though, but if you look close enough he's still in those little shorts. Maybe after a trailer I'll decide.

jdell1964 • Jun 17, 2008, 07:22am •
I think im a little older than a lot of you folks.....and I remember watching Astroboy when i was a kid, it was one of my favorite cartoons. First Speed Racer, now Astroboy, whats next....Kimba the Lion, or Gigantor? Man i wish i was a kid theese days...(insted of an old man who's a kid mat heart!!lol)

daforce • Jun 17, 2008, 10:02am •
Eww....Nicholas "Kiss of Death" Cage is in this one?

I'm probably going to wait until DVD now.

monkeyfoot • Jun 17, 2008, 11:01am •
Jdell, They already did Kimba the White Lion. Disney swiped it and made The Lion King.

videocide • Jun 18, 2008, 10:17pm •
Wow monkeyfoot. I thought i was the only one who knew that. Ive never really seen Astroboy, do have the kick ass gba game though. Hope its as good or better than TMNT

RacerX • Jun 26, 2008, 03:23pm •
I would be curious as how they are going to approach the characters and the storyline. The original B&W series and the second, 1980's color episodes followed Osamu Tesuka's format closely, but, of course, Tesuka supervised the first two animated renditions himself. Each episode had a point or message to tell. The last Astroboy series were made after Tesuka's death, and, boy, his absence was felt. The violence was a bit more 'in your face' and there wasn't any point made at the end of each episode. Who made that series was really off the beam there. I hope the filmmakers making their version of Astroboy would observe what was endearing from the first two Astro series and the 1960's Kimba, and bring the 'Tesuka influence' back to Astroboy.

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