State of Grace
The official Imagi Studio website has posted an interview with Astro Boy director David Bowers. While there isn’t much to chew on in the short Q&A interview, you can read about his background in animation and you’ll also find a new picture of Astro at the bottom of the page. Here’s a quote on his vision in bringing a CG-fied Astro Boy to the big screen:
“I want Astro Boy to be a really special movie, a mix of action-adventure with lots of comedy and a really emotional story at its core. It’s an iconic property and deserves respect, so I don’t want to give it the glib, pop-referential treatment that so many animated movies have today. Instead I want it to stand as a classic superhero origin story, something befitting the icon of Astro Boy, kind of along the lines of Richard Donner’s Superman. I want it to serve as an introduction to Astro Boy for western audiences whilst remaining faithful to the lore of Asian audiences. Astro Boy is a treasured icon in Japan and so I’m working closely with the Tezuka estate to ensure I get everything right.”
His sincere statement on staying true to the source material gives me faith that its in good hands and it won’t end up as a mediocre hack job. My fingers are crossed for a classy and respectful treatment of this classic Japanese icon. As of late October, the animated film is 50% completed in the pre-production stages according to Imagi’s creative director Felix Ip. The theatrical release date is on October 23, 2009.
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