ColinBrady Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Judging by how long other people stayed on board for the big-screen version of Astro Boy, I'm amazed they finally found the time to cast their lead. In a press release sent to Comics2Film, Imagi Entertainment announced that Freddie Highmore (of Spiderwick Chronicles fame) will voice Astro Boy in the feature film. Originally created by Osamu Tezuka, Astro Boy was the story of a boy robot fighting crime and dealing with some personal 'issues' about reconciling his circuitry with his burgeoning humanity.

Director David Bowers was quoted as saying, "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. Astro Boy 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." Not to rain on their parade, but some of the same things were said about Colin Brady and Michael Lachance -- look where they ended up.

It's going to be a busy year for the young actor; he's also currently working on the family flick, Eddie Dickens and the Awful End for Francis Lawrence. Highmore has been earning some good reviews for his performance in Chronicles, so I doubt that they will be replacing him anytime soon. Not bad for an actor that by the tender age of 16 has already worked with some of the biggest names in the business. Astro Boy is scheduled for release in 2009.

It would seem that Imagi Studios' big-screen version of the classic manga Astro Boy is really going to be a work in progress. ComingSoon is reporting that Timothy Harris has been hired to write the new script for the CGI flick. This is the second major switch-up for the film about the boy robot. Back in January, the studio decided to replace director Colin Brady with Flushed Away's David Bowers. The first script had been put together by Michael Lachance (Kung Fu Panda), but now Harris will be taking over full time.

For those of you not familiar with the classic manga story by Osamu Tezuka, Astro Boy is the story of a boy-robot in search of his creator and struggling with his more 'human' qualities. Of course, in between the soul searching there are plenty of battles with mad scientists and master criminals. Brady had originally imagined the story as a 'dark Pinocchio' tale, but who knows what Harris may have planned now that he is in charge.

So just like the last time when there was a personnel change on the project, everyone seems really excited about the changes afoot (what else could they say?). Harris was quoted as saying, "'Astro Boy' 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." Too bad you can't say the same thing about some of Harris' other projects, including Kindergarten Cop and Space Jam. Astro Boy is set to arrive in theaters in 2009.

I guess it's never fun to be fired, but I bet it's worse when there is a full-page press release about it. Variety reports that Colin Brady has been replaced by David Bowers to direct the feature film version of the classic manga, Astro Boy. The announcement was made by Imagi Entertainment's Co-CEO & Chief Creative Officer, Francis Kao, and there was no official reason given for the switch. It doesn't look like Imagi has really 'traded up' all that much with their choice of director. Brady was a newbie director with only one film under his belt, and Bowers' last film was Flushed Away.

Created in 1951 by "God of Manga," Osamu Tezuka, Astro Boy tells the story of a young robot boy who fights crime and technology gone wild, as well as the usual manga struggles of humanity versus technology, and of course, what it means to be human. Michael Lachance's script will focus on "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."

It's too bad that Brady won't get the chance to direct the boy in the red boots, since he seemed pretty keen on the whole thing back in November. But I wouldn't feel too bad for Brady; the visual effects master has already scored the job of directing another classic kid's tale, The Smurfs. Astro Boy is scheduled for release in 2009.

While I never really considered myself a huge Astro Boy fan, for some reason I'm really starting to look forward to ImagiAnimation's feature film about the little robot boy fighting danger while struggling to reconcile his circuitry with his burgeoning humanity. First Showing got the chance to speak with animator/director Colin Brady (Toy Story 2) and got an exclusive first look at some of the concept art for the film. So for the fans who were worried that their beloved Astro was going to get a big-budget makeover; don't worry, it looks like it's still the boy-robot you know and love. Although, for fans of the TV version back in the 60's (or its revival back in 2003), I'm afraid Brady has done away with the kitschy 60's vibe -- and instead, he'll be making an "epic Sci Fi fantasy".

Brady tells FirstShowing, "AstroBoy is kind of a dark Pinocchio story, but unlike Pinocchio, Astro never can become real flesh and blood. Astro's journey of self discovery and acceptance is directly linked to the hardcore killer robot fights, and to the rejection by his creator, Dr. Tanner". Brady also hinted that the film wasn't going to be strictly for the kids: "We're going for as hard PG as we can. Luckily robot violence is less disturbing than humans fighting each other with guns". Amen to that. So far there is no word on a cast but Brady did say it would likely be a mix of American and Japanese actors, but that "they have to be right for the part". Astro Boy is scheduled for release in 2009.