ROTTEN TOMATOES: Live-Action Dragon Ball Finds Its Leads

Live-Action Dragon Ball Finds Its Leads

Meet your Goku and Piccolo!

by Jeff Giles | November 14, 2007

Brace yourselves, Dragon Ball fans. Twentieth Century Fox's live-action adaptation of your beloved manga has cast its leads, and some of you are about to start screaming bloody murder.

Variety reports that Goku, the "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," will be played by Justin Chatwin, star of The Invisible and, um, Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2.

He looks like a Goku, doesn't he?

Starring as Goku's adversary, the villain Piccolo, will be James Marsters -- or, as he's better known to Buffy fans everywhere, Spike the evil vampire.

Like a flute, only smaller.

The Variety report goes on to note that Final Destination's James Wong is still on board to write and direct. Filming is scheduled to begin this month, and the film is being targeted for an August 15, 2008 debut.

Source: Variety

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(1-20 of 67 posts) | Reply

Ender7406 writes:
on Nov 14 2007 05:19 AM

Come on, Danny DeVito for Krillin...

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jasperoosterveld writes:
on Nov 14 2007 05:26 AM

hahaha danny devito would be ****ing hilarious!

But why not Dragonball Z??? That was so much more fun. Weird.

But how is this going to work out with special effects?

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dahluzz writes:
on Nov 14 2007 06:11 AM

why do japanamation characters have such huge eyes when japanese people's eyes are squintier looking? never got that.

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Jasonsnak writes:
on Nov 14 2007 06:12 AM

im not a big fan of the series but from what i know of it, these actors look like good choices, that being said i hope they work out there bodies for the role since they already look like the parts.

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hugz4thugz writes:
on Nov 14 2007 06:35 AM

Eff this Dragon Ball nonsense. Give me Dragon Ball Z. I want Vegetta baby! Oh and this series doesn't appear to be startinng out well.

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TheIceGhost writes:
on Nov 14 2007 06:43 AM

Ender7406: Best. Comment. Ever.

And the sad part is, I actually know who Krillin is. When my friend was into this stuff way back in grade school he gave me a Krillin trading card. At the time I was into wrestling and Stone Cold was "da' bomb", and all that, so, Krillin's shiny head appealed to me.

Now I feel creepy...

SHOWER TIME!

(Reply to this)

Sparky123 writes:
on Nov 14 2007 06:43 AM

This is gonna suck soooooo bad. No, seriously, it's gonna suck.

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Heath Huxall writes:
on Nov 14 2007 07:08 AM

It's a sad, sad world we live in.

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Typhoon20 writes:
on Nov 14 2007 07:10 AM

This is going to be one of the biggest flops in movie history.

Maybe, just maybe, if they release it as a comedy it might be fun,
otherwise it's going to suck, suck so bad that Bennifer can look at this and go ''YES ! WE'RE OFF THE LIST WITH GIGLI, THANK YOU FOX, THANK YOU FOR F#CKING UP DB AND MAKING US LOOK GOOD!''.

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Ruckas356 writes:
on Nov 14 2007 07:10 AM

they should get robert rodreguez to do this. or at least do it like he would do it. kinda like 300 or sin city. that way you stand a chance to give the film justice.

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Uncle Alphard writes:
on Nov 14 2007 07:16 AM

Maybe it's why remakes and reinterpretations and adaptations keep being made, but I'm finding myself just honestly really really curious as to how this will turn out.

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phoenixphire24 writes:
on Nov 14 2007 08:13 AM

As much as I love James Marsters, there's very little chance this movie is going to be good. Unless they go for a style like Beowulf, I don't know how the effects are going to work.

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FLYmeatwad writes:
on Nov 14 2007 08:40 AM

What arc is it going to cover? And it's definitly Dragon Ball and not Z? That's kind of odd since I always thought Z to be the most popular, thoguh I suppose the name is recognizable which is all they are after. Undoubtedly, this film will suck, sort of like the show. Probably much worse though.

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jasperoosterveld writes:
on Nov 14 2007 08:58 AM

I don't think this will work as a live action movie, or they will do it 300 style, but it will probally be so silly. The cartoons were allready mega silly and so 80ties.

Can't wait for a trailer though!

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Rockslide writes:
on Nov 14 2007 09:18 AM

I really don't like to jump on hate bandwagons but, I have to agree this time that this is off to a bad start. I was really interested in this being given some good attention and a nice budget. It would be fun to see the huge city leveling battles these guys do (at least in Dragon Ball Z).

I was about to do a rant about how this guy is too old but then looked it up and saw that in Japan, Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z are both just called Dragon Ball. The "Z" was added to the American series to help distinguish between the first and second halves of the story. So they are starting with the beginning of the second half, what we would consider "Z." (Someone can correct this if wrong)

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strobular1 writes:
on Nov 14 2007 09:26 AM

I have an uneasy feeling about this. I would think that they would have found a martial artist to play the role. I'm hoping for the best though. Next to Superman, Goku is one of the greatest characters ever. Please don't mess this up!!!

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Lord_Kingsley writes:
on Nov 14 2007 09:41 AM

I imagine the screen test involved the actors standing in front of the camera goind, "Ahhh...eehhhh...Uuuuhhh..." for five mintues at a stretch.

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BallerK3V1N writes:
on Nov 14 2007 09:59 AM

This movie is gonna be complete garbage but I still think they should get the little guy from Pirates of the Caribbean to play Krillin.

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DIABLUSX writes:
on Nov 14 2007 10:03 AM

This movies will be so bad it will be great. Based on the "great" casting job they are doing so far I recommend Jessica Simpson for "Bulma", John Witherspoon as "Master Roshi", and Vin Diesel as "Kuririn".

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