James Marsters shows the real deal on being mean and evil in the upcoming high-adrenaline adventure movie Dragonball Evolution starring Justin Chatwin, Emmy Rossum, Chow Yun-Fat, Eriko Tamura and Jamie Chung directed by James Wong (Final Destination 3, The One).
In the high-octane adventure, Dragonball Evolution, Justin Chatwin plays the heroic Goku, on a perilous quest to save the planet from destruction. James Marsters is his evil nemesis, the despicable Lord Piccolo—menacing and ruthless. As the dark and vengeful Lord Piccolo, Marsters’ character will stop at nothing to sabotage Goku’s attempts to find the mystical dragon balls. Our for himself, he is intent on annihilating the world and ultimately wants to dominate the universe.
The new film is based on the phenomenally popular Japanese Manga, familiar to comic book fans all over the world. Staying true to the essence of the original, this is an epic coming of age tale, which crosses cultures while maintaining a vivid Asian flavor. This futuristic story combines drama, humor and excitement, with a rich cast of characters.
In the following q&a, Marsters gladly shares the fun on playing the meanest character in the universe.
Q: James, your character is totally evil. How much fun is it to play such a menacing guy? You’ve had a lot of experience with dark characters?
JM: ”Lord Piccolo is a maniac who has been locked away in a prison for 2,000 years for one mistake (completely unfairly of course) and then he bursts out of jail and he escapes. In the prison, there were no mirrors and to his horror when he gets out, he finds that he is old and ugly and decrepit. He is furious and decides to seek revenge and kill Goku.”
Q: Is he totally evil then or are there shades of gray in your character?
JM: ”Yeah I guess I am pure evil. But look at this from my character’s point of view. I think I have just cause to be mean and angry.”
Q: Can you describe Piccolo?
JM: ”He has an egg shaped head, no hair and is bald. He turns green when he gets really angry. We hold true to the heart of the cartoon, although he is not exactly the same. But I think we have created a very good interpretation. My character is an old man who’s mad and angry about being old and he desperately wants to be young again. His youth has been taken away from him and he is not happy about that.”
Q: How was it filming the movie?
JM: ”You should see what we have to go through on this movie. It’s like climbing a mountain. We’re at war. We’re smiling but we’re actually at war. That is what it feels like (laughs) and there is no time to think about anything else. We just have to get through this and arrive home in one piece.”
Q: Are you ever concerned about the possible overuse of effects in movies?
JM: ”I am not afraid of special effects. I always think that if you are tuned into the story—in this case it is Goku’s story—you’re focused on the same thing. The special effects guys are tuned into. So the effects are simply being used to tell the story. As actors, we get all the credit because emotionally, the audience is focused on us and they come out of the theatre saying, ‘Wow, what a powerful actor,’ but that is partly thanks to the power of the effects. They support the story.”
Q: What do you think makes Dragonball special?
JM: ”The thing that I love about this film and story is that I think it has helped me as a parent raising a boy. I have an eleven year old. The film is all about training to become a man. In our culture, we don’t really do that and I think it is great. It is about becoming a strong man, coming to terms with your male aggression and having an outlet for that The film says that real men are actually peace loving. They can take care of themselves and others without being aggressive.”
Q: So you see Goku as a good role model for boys?
JM: ”I do. I love that template for boys growing up because being a gentle human being doesn’t mean that you’re weak. That’s what I love about the unapologetic violence of Dragon Ball. It means that you can be violent if you need to be. If your friends are getting hurt, that’s justifiable. I think Goku is just the best kind of hero. He’s so realistic. He is a mellow guy who doesn’t try to convince anybody that he’s tough. People crack jokes about him. However, when the life of his family or friends or the world is in jeopardy, he unleashes his energy and power with the most incredible violence and defends the Earth. That is what Goku does. He’s a real man, not a poser.”
Cinema Today released a new interview with Justin Chatwin and Emmy Rossum about the Dragonball Evolution movie.
Here are the questions that were asked.
1(0:11) : Have you ever read the original Dragonball manga?
2(0:58) : What did you take care of in acting?
3(1:53) : How did you prepare for the role?
4(2:30) : How did you feel when you shot Kamehameha?
5(3:19) : Please give a message to Japanese Fans waiting for this movie.
Yes, I am a bit late on these recent updates due to being out of town. First we have another clip from a Korean TV Show that shows even more new scenes and more from the Korean Press Conference.
And the full video of the Thailand press conference from February 20th is now available.
And check out this brand new Dragonball Evolution movie poster! (Click image below to enlarge)
A video has leaked from todays (and third) Dragonball Evolution press conference. This time it was held in Bangkok, Thailand. View it below! (Note that video is only a summary of the conference, so we will post more feeds if available soon)
And here’s a greeting message from Justin Chatwin and Emmy Rossum telling you to check out Dragonball Evolution!
I will update this entry if any additional news/updates concerning this latest press conference surfaces.
Sci Fi Now spoke with Justin Chatwin recently in which he revealed the script to the sequel of Dragonball Evolution has already been written. Other reports also suggest the sequal’s title will be “Dragonball Reborn”.
Dragonball: Evolution, the first live-action adaptation of the popular manga, hasn’t even hit our screens yet, but the script for a proposed sequel has already been written, according to Justin Chatwin, who plays Goku in the upcoming film.
Speaking to SciFiNow last month, the 26-year-old actor said that he was signed on for potential sequels, and that he was excited about the prospect: “If there were to be a sequel I think it… well, I know that it would go to a really interesting place, because they already have the second script written.” When pressed for details, Chatwin revealed a little more about the direction of the celluloid version of the franchise. “It’s really, really cool. The second one goes more into the whole legacy and the genealogy of Dragonball. It goes more in-depth into a real Dragonball series, the kind of intergalactic world of Dragonball.”
The cast and director atteneded another press conference in Korea. after a 20 minute screening of scenes from the movie the cast/crew continued to answer questions concerning the film. Here are a few reports from The Associated Press and Korea Times.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — “Dragonball” fans can expect an older, fiercer version of hero Goku in the Hollywood adaptation of the famed Japanese cartoon series about two magic-wielding rivals who compete for seven orange spheres that will grant the holder a perfect wish.
The filmmakers behind “Dragonball Evolution” added 10 years to its hero to give the movie a grittier look, actor James Marsters said at a press conference Wednesday.
In the comic book series, “Goku is 7 years old and fighting midgets all the time,” said Marsters, who plays Goku’s rival, Lord Piccolo. “We muscled it up.”
Justin Chatwin, the 26-year-old Canadian actor who plays the teenage Goku in the movie, said the cast learned several different martial arts styles for the movie. He initially was worried about taking the role because of his slender physique.
“I was looking in the mirror, going like, ‘I’m a beanpole, how can I pull off this role?’” said Chatwin, best known for playing Tom Cruise’s son Robbie in “War of the Worlds” and a teenager stuck in limbo after an attack in David Goyer’s “The Invisible.”
But while Goku was given a more adult interpretation, director James Wong said he toned down another key character — Roshi, a flirtatious, Hawaii-shirt wearing martial arts master — to appeal to a broader audience.
Roshi, played by veteran Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fat, is “a little tamer than he is in the manga,” Wong said.
Wong said condensing the dozens of “Dragonball” manga books that have already been published was a tough task.
“All that we hoped to do was to preserve the essence of Dragonball — the fun, the thrills the adventure,” he said.
“Dragonball Evolution” will be released in Asia in March and in the U.S. on April 8.
The new Stephen Chow production brings the story of a teenaged Goku (Justin Chatwin) who, upon the dying wishes of his adoptive grandfather (Randall Duk Kim), seeks out the great masters Roshi (Chow Yun-fat) and Bulma (Emmy Rossum). With his friends Yamcha (Joon Park) and Chi Chi (Jamie Chung), he must gather all seven magical orbs or Dragon Balls before the evil Lord Piccolo (James Marsters) uses them to conquer the world.
Extensive clips of the movie were revealed exclusively for the Korean press. “I also love the comic books, but the manga is very (long). There’s no way to put all that in the movie,” said director James Wong (“Final Destination”). “The goal also is to be able to introduce `Dragonball’ not only to fans but those who don’t know it,” he said, adding that he wanted to craft a story that is relatable to a young audience. “Hopefully we’ll have a chance to tell the rest of it in subsequent movies.” The creation of sequels will depend on the success of the upcoming film, he said.
Chatwin (“Invisible”), who had been a fan of the TV cartoon, said he was both excited and fearful of interpreting such an iconic character. He had to undergo intense martial arts training ― “vomiting because they pushed us so hard.” “But it’s a super fun movie and I’m absolutely honored,” he said.
Chow, the hero of Hong Kong noir films, plays a rather comical role in the movie. Dressed in all black instead of his character’s Hawaiian shirt, he jokingly said his wife ― who is also his manager and mentor ― “forced” him to take the role because she needed “money to buy a very famous bag.” He threw the crowded pressroom into more bouts of laughter with humorous Korean phrases. Chow was last here 15 years ago for shooting an action movie. He said he was surprised with the modernization, “but kimchi is still the same” as it is with the passionate people.
Park said it was a great honor to work with Chow in his second Hollywood movie after “Speed Racer.” “Mr. Chow is such a huge star but on the set he is so humble and professional, and gave me a lot of guidance,” he said. About working in the United States, the former G.O.D. rapper said he felt proud to see that the Korean film industry is as sophisticated as Hollywood.
A group of young women waited outside the venue, screaming each time Park spoke. Chung, an up and coming Korean American actress (“Chuck and Larry”) said she was surprised to witness Park’s popularity when his fans greeted him at the airport Monday. “He’s my `oppa’ (big brother); he took care of me,” she said about working with Park. “I’m so proud to be here,” she said.
Screen beauty Rossum, who recently shot an advertisement here, said she was happy to return. “Everyone here has a good sense of humor and I can see why everyone likes `Dragon Ball.”’ Looking striking in a red dress, she said she tried to bring Bulma to life as a “feisty, determined, intelligent, and yes, hopefully a little sexy, woman.”
Marsters pointed out that the movie is based on “Dragon Ball” rather than “Dragon Ball Z” and that his character Lord Piccolo is a powerful, muscular villain rather than a decrepit old man. Another difference, he said, is that the film does not feature Lord Piccolo’s superpower ability of dismembering himself.
The recent Dragonball Evolution press conference was recorded and leaked online. It is about 15 minutes long and features : Justin Chatwin, James Wong, Jamie Chung, Chow Yun Fat, Emmy Rossum and Joon Park. Enjoy!
Also, the official promotional trailer for the Dragonball Evolution PSP game is now online!
Nuffnang is also giving away prizes and the chance to see a screening of Dragonball Evolution! Here are the details.
As many have already been anticipating the release of Dragonball Evolution, Nuffnang is proud to bring you the Premiere Screening of Dragonball Evolution courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Malaysia!
4 steps to secure a pair of invites to the Premiere Screening of Dragonball Evolution
1. Take a picture of yourself or a friend in a Kame Hame Ha pose like the picture below. You are free to edit the image if you wish to.
2. Write a blog post in your blog with the title ‘I’m Going Kame Hame Ha with Dragonball Evolution’ with the picture taken in step 1 displayed.
3. Copy and paste the following codes at the end of your entry..
..which will show this image linking to this post.
4. Send in an email to dragonball@nuffnang.com with your full name and the permalink of your blog post.
Prizes and Premiums!
We’re giving away limited edition premiums and prizes from the movie such as a Dragonballs, watches, duffle bags, 3D postcards and many more to creative bloggers coming up with The Most Impressive Kame Hame Ha, The Funniest Kame Hame Ha & The Most Natural Kame Hame Ha. In addition, the first 50 bloggers who write in will also receive a Dragonball Evolution poster!
As we only have 200 tickets to give out, priority will be given to blog posts which are creative and those who sent in first. Hurry, and start blogging now!
Also available at this site are some official wallpapers/screen savers, including a new poster.
According to Thailand site Kratookfilm.com, several actors/crew from Dragonball Evolution will be appearing at a Thailand Dragonball film press conference on February 20th. Here is the exact list of actors that will appear at the conference.
- James Wong (Director)
- Justin Chatwin (Goku)
- Emmy Rossum (Bulma)
- Joon Park (Yamcha)
- Chow Yun Fat (Master Roshi)
- James Marsters (Piccolo)
- Jamie Chung (Chi Chi)
And just a reminder to everyone…James Marsters is currently at the “Your Funny Valentine” event. We will keep you posted if any news/interviews are leaked.
The dub cast for the Japanese version of Dragonball Evolution has been revealed.Two voice actors have actually voiced in the original Dragonball anime. Hisao Ishimaru casted as Android 14 in the anime film “Super Android 13″ and Mami Koyama casted as Lunch from DB and DBZ.
Apparently there was much more to the previous DBE preview entry that we posted before. This new addition to the Dragonball Evolution movie preview reveals a lot of details concerning the storyline to Dragonball Evolution and much more. Note that this is the official press kit for the film. Beware of spoilers!
Goku’s quest – with nothing less than the fate of our world at stake – begins innocently enough in the backyard of his grandfather’s home, where Gohan is training the young man in some exotic martial arts moves. It is Goku’s 18th birthday, and Gohan’s gift to his grandson is a Dragonball, a small, round ball whose surface is smooth and pearl-like, but with a milky translucence that gives it depth. Four stars float inside the ball. There are only six others like it in the world, and it is said the seven Dragonballs together will grant the holder one perfect wish.
Connected to the legend of the Dragonballs is Goku’s own mysterious past – he never knew his parents – as well as the coming solar eclipse, which superstitions mark as a sign of a coming apocalypse. Gohan promises to reveal all to Goku at the special birthday dinner Gohan is preparing for his grandson.
But Goku skips out on Gohan’s feast, to attend a party hosted by Chi Chi, a fellow student to whom Goku is drawn. As the two teens get to know one another, a tragedy at home is triggered by the arrival of a dark force – propelling Goku, Roshi, Bulma, Yamcha and Chi Chi into a race to collect all seven Dragonballs. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Goku will face the deadliest enemies on Earth, master a powerful force called Ki, which marshals the energy of the universe – and learn the truth of his incredible past…and of a potentially unthinkable future.
Turning a beloved global property into a motion picture event is no easy task, and it took years after Twentieth Century Fox acquired the rights to the graphic novel series Dragonball to make that happen. A big-screen adaptation finally began to come together when filmmaker James Wong, who has worked extensively in the science fiction/fantasy genre, took an interest in the property. Wong recalls: “I read the mangas, which really sparked my interest in the property. The graphic novels take us to a fantastic world with great characters – and they’re a lot of fun.”
Inspired by the manga, Wong and screenwriter Ben Ramsey worked to achieve a mix of action, humor and character relationships for the new movie. “We strove to hit the right combination of the fantastic and the relatable,” says Wong. Huge action set pieces, state of the art visual effects, and elaborate martial arts sequences would be key elements of “DRAGONBALL: EVOLUTION,” but there was also much to explore with the characters, their rich histories, and their evolving relationships.
“I believe that the appeal of Dragonball, beyond its super-cool action, is the richly creative world that Akira Toriyama invented,” says Ramsey. “There is a complexity and humanity to the superhuman characters who inhabit that world, as well as an overwhelming sense of optimism that its lead character (Goku) embellishes.”
The challenges in adapting Dragonball for the big screen were formidable, starting with creating a story that would satisfy the hardcore fans and introduce the world to non-fans. “So the concept was to start off in a world that felt familiar, then gradually introduce the fantastic elements of Dragonball, so by mid-movie we are in full on Dragonball mode,” notes Ramsey.
“The biggest challenge in adapting a manga or animated series for a live action movie is the burden of reality,” he continues. “Once characters are brought to life by flesh and blood humans, the rules change, if ever so slightly. Animated characters can get away with a lot more than live action characters. Writing for live action characters has to allow for nuance in dialogue, character dynamics and action.”
Ramsey and Wong took note of the fact that the manga’s characters and environments are central to its universal appeal and relatability. “DRAGONBALL: EVOLUTION,” like the manga, is set in the near future, in a multi-cultural environment. It is a world where “future and past become one,” says Wong, and where “race plays no significant role.” To that end, the casting process for the film was, as Wong puts it, “color blind.” The production set up casting offices in Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, London, Hong Kong and Japan – “the broadest net we’ve ever thrown over a casting process,” notes the director.
Justin Chatwin landed the role of Goku after an exhaustive worldwide search. Goku is a high school student whose innocence and guilelessness are left behind when he begins his hero’s journey. “The character has a great arc – from high school nerd to the planet’s savior,” says Wong. “One minute, Goku is a high school student who doesn’t fit in with his peers; the next, he’s on an incredible quest.” Chatwin sparked to the idea of the hero’s journey, having long been an admirer of the work of mythologists like Joseph Campbell, whose writings often dealt with the role of the hero figure. “Goku begins his journey as an everyday teen who discovers he’s meant for something more,” says Chatwin. “He becomes a symbol of moral good.”
Goku’s transformative journey is all well and good, as are his martial arts skills, but a subject of equal scrutiny was the character’s….hair. The legions of Dragonball fans identify Goku through his uniquely styled, spiked coif. “That was my first question to Jimmy Wong,” says Chatwin with a laugh. “‘What are you going to do with the hair?’ It’s so important, that even the hair has an arc!” (Goku’s hairstyle evolves through the film into its signature, spiky “do.”)
One of the first steps in Goku’s journey is to seek out Roshi, an elderly Master who completes Goku’s training, helps him unlock the secret of his past – and joins him in a quest to save the world. Roshi is unlike any Eastern Master you’ve seen before; he has an eye for the ladies and favors Hawaiian shirts. According to Wong, the role required nothing less than an iconic actor who could convey the character’s many dimensions and incredible abilities. “We had to really reach high to find our Roshi,” says Wong, “and we decided to just go for it and approach Chow Yun-Fat,” the legendary international superstar who has toplined some of the cinema’s most acclaimed action films, including the Oscar®-winning “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”
Chow wasn’t an obvious physical match to the Roshi fans know from the manga and anime. Wong explains: “In the manga, Roshi is a quirky, elderly figure, who’s unpredictable. He’s definitely not your traditional Master who dispenses sage advice.” While no amount of makeup and prosthetics could transform the strapping Chow – whom People magazine called one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world, and the Los Angeles Times termed “the coolest actor in the world” – into the diminutive, aged figure of the manga, Chow worked hard to capture the character’s spirit. “I’ve never had the kind of challenge I’ve had with the role of Roshi,” says the actor. “There is so much to him – humor, action, romance, emotion. He has extraordinary powers, but he’s still funny, recognizable and human.”
One of the many ideas the actor proposed for the character was donning gray-tinted contact lenses, hinting at the onset of cataracts. “I thought the lenses would add to the realism and relatability of Roshi,” says Chow, who also regularly practiced Tai Chi and mediation before and during the shoot.
Thrilled to be working with a cinema icon, the cast and crew were equally impressed with Chow’s work ethic off camera. He never retreated to his trailer to relax between scenes, and would often help out the camera crew – including moving heavy equipment (becoming the most high-profile grip in the business). “Chow never left the set,” marvels director of photography Robert McLachlan, ASC/CSC. “He was like part of the crew.” But to Chow, his behind-the-scenes work was not a big deal. “It’s how we’ve been doing things in Hong Kong since the beginning of my career in television,” he points out. “The crews were tiny, and we always helped each other out.”
Chow was an inspiration to all, especially the younger actors like Justin Chatwin and Jamie Chung. Chung has the lead role in the popular ABC Family series “Samurai Girl,” whose title character possesses fighting skills that came in handy for “DRAGONBALL: EVOLUTION”. One of today’s brightest and most appealing young stars, Chung brought much more to Chi Chi than martial abilities. She has the sparkling energy necessary to fully capture the two sides of the character. “Chi Chi is the ‘It Girl’ – the most popular girl in high school,” says Chung. “She comes from a wealthy family, and everyone expects certain things from her. But she has a second life – a secret life – marked by her passion to fight. She comes off like the girl next door, but when she turns it on, she kicks butt!”
The burgeoning relationship between Chi Chi and Goku comes from, in part, them being kindred spirits. “Chi Chi is drawn to Goku’s secret ability to fight,” says Chung. “She feels there’s something really special about Goku, and she’s able to bring that out in him.”
Another beautiful young woman joining Goku in his quest is Bulma, a scientist described in the manga as the “smartest girl in the world.” The film retains the manga character’s confidence, intensity and intelligence – and the fact that she knows exactly what she wants. And what Bulma wants is the Dragonball stolen from her father’s company. Wielding a laser-guided, high-tech magnum pistol and a Dragonball-tracker, Bulma will do anything to retrieve the five-starred Dragonball, which she thinks will supply an unlimited source of energy – and immense financial rewards.
Emmy Rossum appreciated the challenges of playing such a multi-faceted character whose hard-nosed, take-no-prisoners attitude begins to change after she joins Goku and Roshi on their search for the Dragonballs. “Bulma comes to realize that life is about much more than her personal quest,” says Rossum. “The character in the manga and now our film is so alive, funny and spunky. She’s anything but ordinary.” A bonus for the actress was learning to ride Bulma’s speedster, which the production created from a Harley motorcycle.
In the manga, Bulma sports a blue bob, which became her signature look. Rossum recalls that the filmmakers tried different ways to capture that coloring and style, including dyes, hair extensions and wigs, but ultimately went in a more realistic direction. Nevertheless, there are traces of blue and purple laced throughout the character’s wardrobe.
In their search for the Dragonballs, Goku, Roshi and Bulma face their adversary, Lord Piccolo. As depicted in the manga, Piccolo is a complex and intriguing figure whose journey sees him embodying both good and evil. For in the Dragonball mythos, any character can turn from good to evil, and vice versa. James Marsters, beloved to millions of fans around the world for his lengthy stint as the vampire Spike in the hit television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel,” portrays Piccolo in the film. His Piccolo is the story’s antagonist – “In the film, Piccolo is a figure of decrepitude, and his goals are centered on revenge,” says Marsters – but
there are hints that his journey is very much an evolving process.
Working with Piccolo is Mai, an exotic beauty tainted by malevolence. Her weapons of choice are throwing knives known as shiruken. Japanese-born actress Eriko, who came to “DRAGONBALL: EVOLUTION” after wrapping a recurring role on “Heroes,” says she enjoyed playing a “strong, tough woman on a mission.” James Wong adds that Eriko gives the role a “special quality and toughness.”
Rounding out the starring cast is Joon Park as Yamcha. Looking to get rich, quickly, Yamcha traps Goku, Roshi and Bulma in the desert. But eventually, he joins them in their journey. Park, a rock star in his native Korea, has performed in front of 100,000 screaming fans – an experience that helped him capture the essence of the character. “Joon has all the qualities necessary for Yamcha, including charisma and a sense of mischief,” says Wong. “Yamcha is tough on the outside, but inside there’s a soft heart,” adds Park. “Something in his past has scarred him, and he likes to skim across the details of life, looking for money.”
Badtaste has provided a preview of Dragonball Evolution and provided information regarding the action scenes. It contains quotes from Justin Chatwin, the director, cinematographer and the stunt team. DBthemovie has provided a translation.
UPDATE – The full preview is now available.
This extended preview talks about the final battle between Piccolo and Goku, some comments from James Marsters (who plays Piccolo) and much more! Read below! Be prepared for spoilers.
“How do we make action sequences look and feel different from what audiences have experienced before?” That was the first question Wong posed to his team when he began thinking about the action fans would expect from a film based on Dragonball.
The answers coming from the acclaimed stunt team, 87Eleven, as well as from director of photography Robert McLachlan and visual effects supervisor Ariel Velasco Shaw, certainly pleased Wong – and promise to delight not only fans of the property, but action movie enthusiasts as well.
VFX supervisor Velasco Shaw employed what Wong calls “fist-cams” – from the noted company Iconix – that are so small they could be attached to an actor’s fist, allowing a character’s punch to come right into the audience. “It’s a kind of ‘fist POV’,” Wong elaborates. McLachlan contributed the suggestion of using new high-speed digital Phantom cameras to create super-slow motion for key action sequences. “We did a lot of research and development with the Phantom cameras,” says McLachlan, who had discovered the-then experimental photography on YouTube. In the YouTube video, a balloon filled with water was popped, with the “action” caught at 1000 frames per second. McLachlan and Wong were impressed with the results. “The most spectacular thing about it was that the water retained the shape of the balloon before it fell,” Wong remembers.
More “low-tech,” but equally important to amping-up the action, were the training and stunts overseen by 87Eleven, and stunt coordinators Jonathan Eusebio, Julian Bucio Montemayor, and Jared Eddo. Their first order of business was to get the cast in shape, followed by having them undergo an intensive program of action choreography, and finally, making the actors comfortable with the considerable wire work and acrobatics they’d be required to perform. It was an incredibly rigorous program – “When [the actors] weren’t working, they were training,” says Eusebio.
The young cast members underwent individually-designed training regimens – no two characters have identical fighting styles – as well as special diets to maintain their strength and stamina during production. In Dragonball lore, Goku is the greatest warrior on the planet. And Justin Chatwin took the responsibility of capturing the character’s skills, very seriously. Before the start of principal photography, he underwent six weeks of nutritional guidance and stunt and martial arts training with 87Eleven, continuing the demanding regimen during the shoot. “It all got my adrenalin going,” says the actor, who also notes he gave up sugar, wheat and pasta during his stint on the film. Chatwin spent a minimum of five hours training each day, studying karate, kung fu and a Brazilian form known as capoeira, which ritualizes movement from martial arts, games and dance. For the more extreme acrobatic maneuvers, Jackson Spidell stood in for the actor. Spidell’s signature move: flipping up in the air, then spinning halfway, and, on his way down, striking an opponent.
Chow Yun-Fat, as Roshi, was given “softer” martial styles, like Tai Chi, befitting the character’s age and experience. Jamie Chung, as young and ever-enthusiastic martial artist Chi Chi, was given “hard” fighting styles, including kickboxing, karate, and Thai boxing. Chung especially delighted in a pivotal fight scene that has Chi Chi fighting…Chi Chi. (Mai, a shape shifter, morphs into Chi Chi to steal a Dragonball.) “I had to play both sides of the fight and learn choreography for both Chi Chi and Mai,” the latter a kung fu practitioner, Chung recalls. Visual effects, including motion control and split composites, enhanced the complex battle.
And what kind of training is required for the actor playing one of the most powerful figures in the universe – Lord Piccolo? According to James Marsters, it was drills involving punching/kicking/blocking combinations. “I thought my body would break,” says the actor with a laugh. “But [the stunt team and trainers] knew exactly what my body could take.”
An early scene that sees Goku and his grandfather Gohan training on a laundry line, several feet above ground, was one of the stunt team’s favorites. “Gohan and Goku are fighting, but in a playful way,” explains stunt coordinator Jared Eddo. “Five riggers and a stunt crew of eleven, including doubles and safety experts, were involved in the scene. Pulleys and machines – along with old-fashioned manpower – allowed us to create the illusion that the characters were standing on the laundry line, and a [special rig] allowed us to maneuver the stunt people and actors.”
A climactic clash between Goku and Piccolo, set at the elaborate “Dragon Temple,” was executed and photographed as an all-out brawl, taking no less than ten day days to complete. Here, Goku executes his signature martial arts movie, “Kame-Hame-Ha,” in which he summons energies, both alien and earthly to launch a blindingly intense bolt towards his adversary. For the scene, Justin Chatwin and James Marsters were required to leap from twenty-feet above the Temple’s floor, and appear to “fly” up to some rocky ledges – all with the help of wires and cables, of course. Later, they battled in “mid-air,” suspended in front of a green screen.
That last paragraph took my breath away. It is clear that the battles in this movie will in fact be amazingly close to what we have seen from the anime.
We have a translated new interview with Justin Chatwin (Goku) and Emmy Rossum (Bulma) from the Japanese newspaper, Sankei Shinbun.
“There are a lot of Dragonball fans all over the world. I was always thinking what the fans were thinking, I felt responsibility,” said Chatwin, who was chosen as Goku, with a serious face.
“He totally devoted himself to practice the role, so when he stepped into a dangerous area, no one could approach him,” said Rossum. Chatwin responded with a joke, “I was thinking it was my mission to fight against the bad guys of Mexico City.”
“Dragonball” tends to be thought of “for kids,” but Chatwin says “the movie is the story of Goku coming to be a warrior. It will be enjoyable for both children and adults, even non-fans.” Rossum added, “The movie is also devoted to the adult fans who grew up with Dragonball.”
We have a translated interview with Justin Chatwin (Goku) and Emmy Rossum (Bulma) from the issue of Japanese magazine Cinecon Walker.
Justin: To be honest, I felt strong pressure. Because my friends are all fans of Dragonball.
Emmy: Me too. I felt anxious because I’m a (Dragonball) fan and love the comics and anime. But when I got the role, I was incredibly happy. So I decided to enjoy it and to do my best as Bulma.
Justin: To me, to play Goku is such an honor.
The story of the movie is veiled in secrecy at this time. According to Justin, It seems that
Goku will appear as a high school student.
Justin:
Goku can’t fit in high school. A kind of outsider. And the death of his grandfather sets his fate up. So he starts on his journey and follows a different path.
Emmy: Bulma is a character who teams up with him. So we we get along pretty well. I acted a comical part with Chow Yun-Fat as Master Roshi. We were in Mexico and we could only speak English, so the three of us got together very well. I’m sure that our good team work will come through on film.
Justin: There are many action scenes that the director James Wong did carefully with visuals effects.
It seems that Justin had to train hard for the role.
Justin: For five months of shooting, I went to the gym after each day and worked out. I drank protein six times a day. So I was called the “Crazy Ninja” in Mexico City (laugh).
Emmy: Yeah, he was like a beast (laugh). Unlike Goku, my action scenes are using weapons and inventions. It was very hard but I think it made me mentally stronger.
Finally, we asked them about Japanese comics consistently coming to Hollywood in live-action.
Emmy: I think it’s because they have wonderful stories. In addition, they’re universal. It’s not surprising that Hollywood wants to make them into films.
Justin: Hollywood is superior in the technical things such as VFX, and they have various techniques in storytelling so that they can make Japanese comics into film. This movie too, it’s a condensed version of the original comic’s epic story. It’s difficult to express the themes verbally, but on film it can be easily expressed for kids.
DBthemovie has found what appears to be some sort of a beta still of Chi Chi eating some strawberries. It seems this could be part of Goku’s daydream in class.
Goku’s quest – with nothing less than the fate of our world at stake – begins innocently enough in the backyard of his grandfather’s home, where Gohan is training the young man in some exotic martial arts moves. It is Goku’s 18th birthday, and Gohan’s gift to his grandson is a Dragonball, a small, round ball whose surface is smooth and pearl-like, but with a milky translucence that gives it depth. Four stars float inside the ball. There are only six others like it in the world, and it is said the seven Dragonballs together will grant the holder one perfect wish.
