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.
The website Bulma.nl stumbled upon some photos from the actual studio for Dragonball : Evolution. There are a few new scene screenshots in these photos!
Dragonball movie character designer, Jonay Bacallado, showed his concept artwork for the Dragonball movie film in a recent interview. They show several pieces of the concepts including Goku, Piccolo, Chi Chi, Bulma and more.
Narrator: His latest project has entered a whole new realm of difficult creativity, It involves the diversion of the reality of the dragonball series. His ambition was to give the characters a “new look” than in the manga, while still keeping the spirit of it in tact.
Jonay: This is one of those projects where the artist already has a reference to look off of; my job was not as big as that of say, the producer, because I already had a reference to expand from. To tell you the truth, It was really complicated, we had so much work to do to redesign every character to get them to where they’re at now.
UPDATE
I have to ask you to please remove this information, because the images shown are mine, no one has asked for authorization, and most importantly, because it may lead people and Dragon Ball fans to think this is actual concept art, but it’s not. They are part of my personal artwork.
According to Actors Access, the Dragonball film will begin re shooting starting October 30th. This process is meant to add extra scenes and re film certain scenes. This is very common during post production in movies. Is there a possibility that this may delay the movie, but for the better? I think so. Here are the details that were provided from the site.
Friday, Oct. 17, 2008, 3:38 PM PacificDRAGONBALL
Feature Film
SAG
Casting Director: Jason Smith
Interview Dates: Immediately
Shoot/Start Date: October 30, 2008
Pay Rate: SAG Scale
Location: 20th Century Fox, Los Angeles
SUBMIT ELECTRONICALLY
TEL: 818/752-4929
[ MEN ]
20-70: FLUENT in Nepalese or Tibetan languages. Must be fluent. Please call 818/752-4929
Dragonball Live posted an article from the french magazine Cine Live that reports some Dragonball movie aspects from director James Wong and Producer Tim Van Rellim. They reveal what the ‘volcano’ pre release picture is used for in movie and if Master Roshi stays true to his manga character.
Is Roshi true to the manga character?
“Yes, somewhat,” said director James Wong. “We kept his main features, like his humor. But in the manga Roshi is a true sexual pervert, which wouldn’t work in a family film. So we removed that part of the character.”
“I discovered that Dragonball had such a rich universe that it would take several films to cover all of its treasures. My goal with this movie is not to convince existing fans that Dragonball is great, they already know this, but to give a new audience. More adults, as I was a neophyte myself before discovering the manga!”
Director Tim Van Rellim reveals the volcano
“Here, we can build a large [volcano], including the decoration of the volcano where the hero must take one of seven Dragon Balls.” The crater is impressive, gigantic artificial arena. “By day, the volcano is nothing. But at night, the lighting for the scene takes it to another dimension.” And that’s not counting the digital special effects that will fill the green screen with lava.
Edward French (the make up designer for Piccolo) has posted up a sneak peak at Piccolo. He says he can’t reveal Piccolo’s face yet due to FOX (which you can see via our gallery). Here’s the full details from the scan.
As many of you hardcore sci-fi fans know, I applied the Piccolo make up for the soon to be released feature film Dragonball. To the many hyper loyal fans of Dragonball…I hope you understand that Iam obligated by the almighty 20th Century FOX to keep Piccolo’s kisser top secret for the time being. When this eagerly awaited epic opens I will be posted a complete step by step photo gallery of the amazing transformation of James Marsters into Lord Piccolo. Stay tuned to this webpage.
DB The Movie Blog was able to translate the October issue of Roadshow. There are a few new interviews including one with Justin Chatwin and another with the stunt team. We even get a description of the teaser trailer.
Justin Chatwin interview
First of all, it’s an honor to play Goku, because he is a very important and epic character. He is always seeing the positive side of things, does good things, and always trys to help and take care of the weak, not only pursuing his power. He is a dependable and loving man as well as a boy. So I like Goku.
In preparation for the role, of course I read the original manga (all of it), in addition, I read Monkey King a little, because Dragonball is based on Monkey King. And during the break time of shooting, I got into Goku’s character, telling jokes with other cast in search of the real communication which can be used in acting.
This is the most interesting movie for me. Because I have never fought with anyone though, I trained martial arts and acrobat, and then we shot it. That’s fun as well as challenging. Fighting with Eriko (Tamura), she punched me in the face, actually she intended to hit lightly, but…it was a clean hit (laugh) She said “I’m sorry!” and apologized to me, but thanks to her, we could shoot very powerful action scene. Through this work, I think I could learn a lot of things.
I like Durango very much. Because a lot of my favorite movie like “The Wild Bunch” was shot here. And there are locations like sand dunes, cave, lava field and rocky hill like the Grand Canion, so I think the background of this movie are very epic.
Highlights of this movie are the action scenes, and amazing visual effects will be made at post production, so I’m looking forward to see it. About Kamehameha I only can imagine it now. I’m so excited. And this movie is the coming-of-age story about a boy, though this is set in a sci-fi world, in my opinion, my best scene is the moment when the characters who got together for the same purpose relate to each other.
Action coordinator 87eleven staff interview
Each characters has a different fighting style. For example, Goku’s fighting style is a hybrid of capoeira, karate and so on. Chi-Chi’s fighting style is based on kick boxing (Muay Thai) style, Master Roshi and Gohan are based on traditional Chinese martial arts (southern style). Justin has good muscle strength of the lower body so to harness this strength, we let him do action. His capoeira motion is very good. He has no experience of martial arts at all, we had to teach him from scratch. But he is doing very well for two months training period.
Highlight of this movie is fighting with Goku and Piccolo, I think it has a tremendous impact. Goku and Gohan’s fight is comical, and Chi-Chi does Jackie Chan-like battle. Each character has a unique twist on martial arts.
The teaser trailer in Japan, I didn’t see it but a lot of people said they saw it. They describe it that characters don’t appear at first, but the solar eclipse appears in space (like the image Danny Boyle director’s Sunshine) and the eclipse changes to a dragon ball and seven balls fly in space and DRAGONBALL logo appears. Narration is Ichirou Nagai, Japanese famous voice actor in dragonball anime, voice of karin-sama (Goku’s master cat) and Tsuru sennin. If I see teaser trailer I report it.
Dragonball Movie Blog got the opportunity to score an interview with the founder of Ironhead Studios, Jose Fernandez, about his work on the upcoming Dragonball film. Ironhead Studios is one the film industry’s leading effects shop. They have done work on films such as Hellboy and X-Men 2.
DBMB: How did you get involved with Dragonball? Was there some sort of “auditioning” process or where you approached by Fox/James Wong?
JF: I was approached by Fox. I’ve done a handful of films for them, so we have a bit of a relationship.
DBMB: What characters did you work on in this film?
JF: In the early design phase I worked on almost, if not every character. After the initial drawings, the director and studio chose what they did and didn’t want to use. As far as final design and fabrication, I was responsible for Piccolo’s full costume and armor, everything except for his makeup, which ADI was responsible for. I also assisted Mayes Rubeo with realizing Goku’s costume and gei.
DBMB: What was it like working with the cast and crew?
JF: Other than James Marsters, I had little contact with the cast. I was only on set for a couple of days to make sure that the costumes were maintained, and looked the best they could on film.
DBMB: What was James Wong like as a director?
JF: I didn’t have the pleasure of working with James in depth. We met in a few preliminary meetings and e-mailed a few times. He seemed very focused and open to creative ideas.
DBMB: What was James Wong looking for in terms of character design?
JF: Well, James seemed to have a healthy respect for the source material. He wanted to create a memorable world that satisfied fans, but also was grounded in reality.
DBMB: How do you expect post-production to effect the look of certain characters? In what ways do you hope it will?
JF: I can only hope that the post-production work enhances the film. My favorite effects are the ones that seamlessly blend the practical and digital worlds. One world should enhance the other. Believability is always key.
DBMB: Were you familiar with the source material when you joined the project? If not, did you consult the original material for inspiration?
JF: I was not at the time, but there were those around me that were. That said, I immediately immersed myself in the world. Hopefully the fans are pleased.
DBMB: In terms of the styling of the characters you worked on for this film, what were some of the details that James Wong had requested you include?
JF: I specifically remember our conversations concerning Goku. James wanted to make sure that he wasn’t too tailored. He wanted Goku to feel like a timeless warrior. A combination of the new and old. Rather than come out of a superhero factory, Goku pieced together his costume from various sources that were important to him.
DBMB: What was the most challenging part of Dragonball?
JF: The biggest challenge for me specifically were budget and time constraints. I’m always pleasantly surprised with what can be done in a limited amount of time. I look forward to those challenges. They force you to be a problem solver.
DBMB: And of course I must ask, who is your favorite Dragonball character and why?
JF: I’m a fan of Yamcha. He reminds me of Han Solo. I’ve always been partial to the “loveable rogue” character. They have the most interesting arcs.
Ben Ramsey, DB movie screen writer. has sent the folloing message to Dragonball Film concerning the movie’s script and a few other details.
“I haven’t read the leaked script so I don’t know if it was one of my drafts or not. Plus I am not at liberty to comment on it one way or the other.
I have not seen the whole film yet but what I’ve seen looks incredible. It was an absolute honor to be a part of Dragonball history. I am big fan of James Wong’s work and I am confident that he made a movie that will thrill die-hard fans and non-fans alike.
I’d like to thank all the fans for their support and for helping to promote the movie. With your help Goku, Roshi, Bulma, Yamchi, Chi Chi and Piccolo will rule the Universe in 2009.
Thanks to Dragonball Live, we have an interview with the story board artist/writer that worked on the Dragonball film. I’m very happy to hear a few movie concepts he mentions, read on…
Did you inform yourself and get inspiration on the anime to create your story board ? Were you inspired by Akira Toriyama’s style ?
Before being asked to work on Dragon Ball, I was already a fan of the Anime. I had maybe around 20 issues of the manga, but it was in Japanese, so I really could only look at the pictures. The first time I had ever heard of Dragon Ball was in 1993 when a fellow comic book artist showed me the Anime on a VHS tape. It was a bootleg from Japan. What inspired me most about Dragon Ball Z was the level of energy and dynamics that was put into the action sequences. If anything, that’s what I tried to bring with me to my work on the film.
A lot of rumours are saying that the film will be a PG, Will it definately be a PG and not a PG 13 ? or even an R rated movie ? In our opinion an PG13 or R rated movie is more appropriate for the dragon ball universe ?
While I can’t comment on the Rating of the Dragon Ball film, I will comment on that I’d personally prefer an R rating. My first job on a film was on The Transporter 2. Originally, we filmed an R rated movie, and unfortunately, Luc and Fox wanted more “butts in seats” so it was brought down to PG-13. I really feel that the film suffered because of it. As far as Dragon Ball is concerned, I think that Jim directed an incredible film. I’m sure if his intended cut makes it to the screen, you’ll be happy.
Concerning the fights, Did the production team manage to reproduce what you had in mind on screen ? Does your storyboard come close to the anime’s famous battles ? We are afraid that the dragon ball fight’s will be filmed in a very traditional way. With your work on the storyboards, have you tried to create something never seen before ?
I think our action department did an incredible job. They all worked very hard to stay true to the spirit of Dragon Ball. As I said before, I’m a fan of the anime and worked very hard on bringing kind of energy that to my work.
Could you either tease us with something from the film or even give us a few hints on what we should expect from this adaptation ? Will there be any suprises that we would not find in the original manga or anime ?
If I answered that, don’t you think that the surprises would be spoiled ?
Did you meet any difficulties creating this storyboard ? If so, could you tell us what ? What did you enjoy the most in your work on Dragonball ?
I don’t see things as difficult, only as a challenge. I embrace any challenge, and Dragon Ball was a pure joy. My favorite part was meeting new people and creating new friendships on set. I was pleasantly surprised by how cool everyone was. Mr Chow was insanely charming.
According to rumours, production has planned to conduct follow-up to this first opus, will you also work on these projects ?
If I am asked to work on any Dragon Ball project, I’d definitely accept.
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.
