I might have been raised on the old maxim: If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all -- but even I can't keep my mouth shut on this one. A new poster and some stills from the live-action Dragonball have hit the net (along with some official pics from Fox), and it is not looking any better for the anime update. If you are one of the few Dragonball fans left out there with hope for this movie, I'm afraid once you get a look at James Marsters as Lord Piccolo, the dream of a decent flick goes right out the window. Although to be fair, I have to give them credit for trying out a slightly more 'modern' look on the new poster art.

Dragonball stars Justin Chatwin as the mighty Goku (a casting decision that has yet to ever really make sense), a legendary warrior who is responsible for protecting the awesome powers of the mystical 'Dragonballs'. Jamie Chung also stars as Chi Chi (Goku's love interest), along with Marsters as the evil Lord Piccolo (oh Spike, where did it all go wrong?), Chow Yun Fat as Master Roshi, and Emmy Rossum as Bulma.

Just last week, the rumors were silenced that Fox would be scrapping the one hundred million dollar film. The current spin from Fox is that they are 100% behind the project -- but honestly, what else could they say? So whatever you may think about Dragonball, plenty of fans will probably be there on opening day. Who knows? Maybe I'll be one of them. I have been known to enjoy watching a train wreck on screen -- how about you?

[Thanks Coming Soon]

Have you had your fill of giant robots on the big screen yet? Well, Hollywood is banking that you haven't, and while we wait for the next installment of Transformers, it's time to turn our attention to some of the other giant robot flicks heading our way in the not-so-distant future. It's common knowledge that Justin Marks (Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li) is in charge of the big-screen adaptation of Voltron, and today a review of Marks' script has popped up online over at Latino Review -- and, thankfully, it looks like good news for fans of the 80's cartoon. But first off, you should know that the review is pretty descriptive about the plot and 'spoiler alert' doesn't even begin to cover it. If you don't feel like reading the whole thing (and it is pretty long), it can all be boiled down to this: the script rocks.

If you didn't grow up watching 80's cartoons, then Voltron might not inspire much excitement. But, for those of a certain age, Voltron was a religion. The story of Volton centered on a team of five young pilots commanding five robot lions which could be combined to form a giant fighting machine called Voltron. Our heroes are left with the task of protecting their home planet from an evil king and a witch named Hagar. But those were the old days, and according to Latino Review, Marks' script is going to deviate from the original anime origins. For the update, Marks' story centers on the fact that "The Drules have invaded Earth and kicked our ass in the ONE DAY WAR. Humanity has gone underground. New York has been decimated and our story opens on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the Drule invasion."

For all the anime fans who hoped that certain titles would remain out of the grasp of Hollywood; I have some bad news for you. According to iFMagazine, Fox has given the green-light for a live-action version of the classic animated series, Cowboy Bebop. During the Television Critics Association press tour, producer Erwin Stoff let it slip that he now has a deal in place with Fox studios to bring the popular series to the big screen. Stoff told journalists, "I'm developing COWBOY BEBOP for Fox, but doing it as a live-action film, so I'm working on that at the moment, I'm really excited to be working on it, and it's in the really early stages. We just signed it the other day."

For the uninitiated; Cowboy Bebop was the story of a group of bounty hunters and their adventures aboard their ship, Bebop, in the year 2071. The series was a huge success in both Japan and in the US, and even spawned an animated film back in 2002.

For fans who might be worried that Cowboy could suffer the same fate as other anime-inspired flicks, there is a silver lining. Stoff promised that, "I have such an enormous admiration for its creators, that our first and foremost concern is going to be a real degree of faithfulness to the tone of the movie, to the mix of genres, and so on and so forth," -- I don't want to sound too cynical, but it's not like we haven't heard that one before.

Now on to the more important question: Who should take over for Jet Black and the gang on the big screen? Sound off below...

Just when you thought Astro Boy was never going to make it to the big screen, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We have received the official press release from Imagi Studios and Summit Entertainment (who are partnering for the flick) with the full cast for the anime update. Imagi finally found their lead in Freddie Highmore back in February and they have announced that joining Highmore in the cast are Nicolas Cage, Bill Nighy, Nathan Lane, and Eugene Levy. There is no word yet on which characters from the original series will be making an appearance, but I could definitely see Lane doing a respectable job as Hamegg.

Astro Boy is the story of a boy robot looking for love and acceptance after being abandoned by his creator. After a Pinocchio-like journey of servitude in a circus, Astro was whisked off to safety by the understanding Professor Ochanomizu. Of course, Astro also spent his time battling mad scientists and out of control robots in between bouts of abandonment issues.

So there's a little mystery starting to brew on the net surrounding the Wachowskis' action flick, Ninja Assassin. Over at kungfurodeo.com, there are reports that a new casting call for the flick is proof that the brothers are actually making a live-action version of the classic anime, Ninja Scroll. For those fans of Scroll out there, maybe you can tell me if the characters on the casting sheet over at Freebase Media look a little familiar.

The story of Ninja Scroll is set in feudal Japan. A ninja-for-hire is forced into fighting an old nemesis that has set his sights on toppling the Japanese government. Complicating matters is a group of super-demons under the bad guys control. So far, not much is known about the plot of Ninja Assassin, but all we do know is that Korean pop star Rain has scored a part in the James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) directed flick.

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.

So while we are all trying to cope with the fallout of the writers strike, it still seems like it's business as usual in Hollywood -- at least for the productions that were given pre-strike priority. ComingSoon reports that Mexican newspaper El Norte says that the big-screen version of Dragon Ball Z is coming to shoot on location in Durango, Mexico. Back in October, rumors first surfaced that James Wong of X-Files fame was slated to direct a live-action version of the classic manga. Judging by what I've seen in terms of fan reaction to the choice, it doesn't look like Wong has gotten the seal of approval just yet.

First appearing on Japanese television in 1989, Dragon Ball Z was based on the original Dragon Ball manga. The story focused on Son Goku (the protagonist from the original manga) now passing along his "butt-kicking wisdom" to his sons. According to ComingSoon, the script for the film will focus on a "young boy called Goku. He faces Evil Vegueta [sic], who tries to destroy the hero to prove that Goku is not the legendary warrior many believe he is".

While original reports had the film shooting in Montreal Canada, I guess the allure of warmer climates won out in the end. According to Coming Soon's sources, the production will be using "Mexiquillo Forest, Marley Ranch, Hacienda la Providencia, La Joya Ranch, Laguna Seca de Santiaguillo and a forum from a Convention Center in the Culture Institute". Construction for the sets will begin later in the month, and start shooting in January. Dragon Ball Z is tentatively scheduled for release in 2010.

It's not as if this is the first time there has been talk of a live-action version of the anime classic Akira. Back in 2003, a script had been written by James Robinson and Stephen Norrington signed to direct -- but that did not last long, and there hasn't been a peep out of the project since ... until now. Bloody Disgusting's sources are reporting that Warner Bros. has not given up yet on the project. Far from it, in fact; they have now hired Irish director Ruairi Robinson to helm the flick. The 29-year-old has only directed two short films so far, one of which got him nominated for an Oscar. But it was his sci-fi short The Silent City starring Cillian Murphy that got the director noticed by WB, according to BD's sources.

Akira was released back in 1988 and was based on the manga series by Katsuhiro Otomo. Based on the original storyline of the comics, Akira centered on a post-nuclear Tokyo overrun with gangs and social unrest. If you haven't seen the film, believe me, it's a pretty complicated storyline and frankly defies a quick summation. But since it is considered one of the best anime films of all time, it's worth your while to give it a viewing. According to BD's report, WB is trying to get the film off the ground pre-strike (which sounds pretty ambitious if you ask me). This is all just speculation at this point, so stay tuned until we hear something official -- or until another four years have gone by and the rumor is resurrected one more time.

[via justpressplay.net]

Fans of the classic anime Astro Boy were probably relieved when Mark had reported last year that the new feature film would not be headed for a 'Hollywood' update. Instead, it was going to take a strictly 'classic' approach to creating an animated feature film -- albeit one with the latest technology. Latino Review has posted an early glimpse at the poster for the flick. I'll admit; I don't know much about Astro Boy (although I always did dig his groovy red 'Rocket Boots') but the eye catching one-sheet does command your attention whether you're a fan or not. Simple, and straight to the point -- which isn't necessarily an easy trick to pull off. The last anyone had heard from the film was in 2006 -- until last week, when IGN reported that Warner Brothers and The Weinstein Company had joined forces with Japan's ImagiAnimation Studios to distribute the film.

Originally broadcast on Japanese television in 1963, the story of Astro Boy is a relatively simple one. Astro Boy (aka Mighty Atom) is a cyborg who was abandoned by his creator and eventually taken in by a kindly professor. Atom then puts his super strength and skills to good use fighting crime and injustice -- usually battling other cyborgs or a variety of other kinds of technology gone awry. Plans for a feature film version have been kicked around since 2001, but it wasn't until last fall that Colin Brady was finally attached to direct. Brady has made a career in visual effects and animation, and Astro Boy will mark his second directorial effort (his first was Everybody's Hero, although he was uncredited). Astro Boy is scheduled for release in 2009.

Although nothing is official, it looks like we could be one step closer to a live action Dragon Ball Z. CHUD is reporting that an "old and trusted scooper" has confirmed that James Wong (Final Destination) has signed to write and direct a big-screen version of Akira Toriyama's anime series. According to CHUD's sources (one, Tailgunner Joe), a casting notice was released that had not only attached Wong as writer/director, but gave a hint as to what characters would be included in the film. Some of the names mentioned include; Goku, Bulma, Mai, and Gohan. Now, to be fair, I'm not as well-versed in Dragon Ball as some, so I'll leave it to the fans out there to tell me if anyone has been overlooked.

The series was adapted from Toriyama's original Dragon Ball manga, and first appeared on Japanese television in 1989. It was then released in China, Europe, and eventually made its way to the US. The series centered on Son Goku (the protagonist from the original manga) all grown up with children of his own. All the while instilling family values while defending the Earth against various bad guys. The series even ran into some censorship problems when it was released in the States because it included some crude humor and a level of violence that US audiences weren't used to in their children's content -- which seems silly if you think about it; have these people ever seen Rabbit Fire?

Just last month, TV Squad had reported that shooting was due to start this year on the film, which might mean that there is more to CHUD's report than idle gossip. Plus, Wong hasn't directed a film since 2006's Final Destination 3, so it's not like he doesn't have the time. We'll know soon enough if Tailgunner Joe can be trusted though; Dragon Ball Z will reportedly begin shooting in Montreal, Canada this November.