| Release Date: | 2009 |
| Cast: | (Animation) Voices of: Freddie Highmore as Astroboy, Nicolas Cage, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy and Eugene Levy |
| Director: | David Bowers |
| Screen Writer(s): | Timothy Harris |
| Official Site: | TBA |
| Trailers: | None |
| Pictures: | Click here to view the photo gallery! |
| Status: | In Production |
| Synopsis/Plot: | Set in futuristic Metro City, AstroBoy is about a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist in the image of the son he has lost. Unable to fulfill the grieving man'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 father who had rejected him. |
| News and Rumors: |
June 16, 2008: 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. Source: Superherohype
February 27, 2008: Freddie Highmore has been signed for the title role in Imagi Studios' CG-animated motion picture AstroBoy, it was announced by producer Maryann Garger and director David Bowers. The announcement of the casting of the award-winning actor as the voice of AstroBoy follows the release of The Spiderwick Chronicles, Highmore's latest starring vehicle. Maryann Garger said: "I am very thrilled that Freddie has accepted this role. He is one of the most talented and acclaimed young actors today, and absolutely ideal to portray the iconic AstroBoy." Commented David Bowers: "It's terrific that Freddie has agreed to play Astro. He's a remarkably skilled young actor, whose freshness and vitality make him perfect for the role. AstroBoy is a beloved superhero and has captured hearts around the globe for more than 50 years. I can't wait to see where Freddie takes him." -Thanks to 'Superherohype' for the news!
February 19, 2008: According to Imagi Studios, Timothy Harris is writing the screenplay for Imagi Studios' upcoming CG-animated feature film AstroBoy, it was jointly announced by Cecil Kramer, Executive VP of Production, and Maryann Garger, producer of AstroBoy. Writer of such box office hits as Space Jam, Kindergarten Cop, Twins and Trading Places, Timothy Harris has been authoring screenplays for almost 30 years. His credits also include three acclaimed noir novels. In addition, Harris produced Falling Down, selected for the official competition at the 1993 Cannes International Film Festival. Cecil Kramer stated: "I am thrilled to have the respected and gifted screenwriter Tim Harris on board. His proven track record in writing great entertainment makes him a perfect fit for bringing the timeless saga of 'AstroBoy,' one of the best-known characters in the world, to the big screen." Maryann Garger said: "We warmly welcome Tim Harris to our team. I have been a longtime fan of Tim's writing, and it's enormously exciting and inspiring to be able to work together on such a grand-scale motion picture as 'AstroBoy'." Commented Timothy Harris: "'AstroBoy' is a dream animation project. It's a classic, as timeless as Oliver Twist, set in the most incredible futuristic world. It's one of those stories that moves you emotionally while being funny and entertaining at the same time."
February 12, 2008: 'The_Fallen_one' from our Message Boards has posted what appears to be the very first Poster for the upcoming al-CGI feature film. Click the image on the left to view the gallery.
January 27, 2008: Imagi Studios has signed David Bowers to direct the CG-animated motion picture AstroBoy, it was announced by Francis Kao, Co-CEO & Chief Creative Officer, and Cecil Kramer, Executive VP of Production. Bowers is a longtime fan of AstroBoy, the iconic character created by the "god of manga," Japan's Osamu Tezuka. AstroBoy has enjoyed great acclaim and success around the world as the hero of animated television series that have delighted generations of audiences. Commented David Bowers: "I've had a lifelong affection for the original AstroBoy, so am looking forward to giving him the full action-adventure Hollywood treatment. His story is both emotional and spectacular, so it absolutely lends itself to the big screen. With the amazing crew that Imagi has assembled, I feel there's an opportunity to create something very special – a film to surprise audiences, have them on the edge of their seats, and hopefully make them laugh, too." Set in futuristic Metro City, AstroBoy is about a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist in the image of the son he has lost. Unable to fulfill the grieving man'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 father who had rejected him. AstroBoy is slated for worldwide release in 2009 from Warner Bros. Pictures and The Weinstein Company.
January 17, 2008: The first official image of Astro Boy has been released. The film is scheduled for a 2009 release and is produced Imagi Animation, the same crew that brought use the new TMNT film. Click the image below for a full high-res shot. Thanks to 'The_Fallen_One' for posting this on our boards!
December 30 , 2006: Imagi Animation Studios, currently in production on a computer-animated version of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," has in its sights the beloved anime robot "Astro Boy." Imagi has optioned rights from Tezuka Productions Co. Ltd. of Japan to produce a new CG-animated feature-length movie that follows the adventures of a boy-sized robot named Atom. The story centers on Atom, who with the help of his friends battles enemies attacking the world and faces his own challenges in adapting to the human world. Animation production will take place at Imagi's Hong Kong digital-animation studio, with a theatrical release scheduled for 2009. Created by Osamu Tezuka, "Astro Boy" first appeared as a manga comic series in 1952. The original 1963 Japanese television series was among the first to bring anime to the attention of a mass audience. - Thanks to 'Comics2film'