Astro Boy adds Cage, Sutherland and others to all-star voice cast
IMAGI Studios has announced an all-star voice lineup for its big-screen adaptation of Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy: Nicolas Cage, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy and Eugene Levy.
They join Freddie Highmore (August Rush), who was cast as the voice of Astro Boy back in February.
David Bowers (Flushed Away) is directing the $50 million CG-animated production, which is set for release next year.
IMAGI also announced it has partnered with Summit Entertainment to distribute the film worldwide, except for IMAGI’s reserved territories of Japan, Hong Kong and China.
The Ticker
• After the smoke cleared on Monday, The Incredible Hulk had added another $1 million to its weekend take. That brings its opening-weekend total to $55.4 million. [Reuters]
• Len Wiseman (Underworld, Live Free or Die Hard) will direct the big-screen adaptation of the Gears of War video game for New Line, from a script by Chris Morgan (Wanted, The Fast and the Furious 4). [The Hollywood Reporter]
• Thanks largely to the performances of Iron Man and Indiana Jones, Paramount has passed $1 billion in international box office grosses this year — six weeks earlier than in 2007. [Variety]
• Speaking of The Incredible Hulk, who do you think should be the villain in the sequel? If, y’know, there is a sequel. There are three potential candidates set up in the current film, but director Louis Leterrier thinks the decision should be left to fans: “I think that if we get to Hulk 2 I would go to Comic-Con and ask the crowd of people that actually love the movies, which one would you prefer to see, Samson or the Leader?” [MTV Movies Blog]
• Although she was surprised the trailer for Punisher: War Zone had been released, director Lexi Alexander was impressed they could scrounge up as much PG-rated footage as they did: “… It had to be a challenge to cut a trailer from our action stuff without showing any gore and blood. I’ve been told that you can’t even show heads blowing up in red-band trailers. I hope that’s not true because that would suck. It’s weird to see Castle shoot all those bullets and not see the thugs who are catching them. That’s the best fucking part about it!!!” [Lexi Alexander]
• In case you were wondering, rapper-turned-actor Common has nothing to report about the Justice League movie. [Sci Fi Wire]
June 17th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Ummm…I haven’t seen either Hulk film, and don’t plan to, but unless the films changed things more than I heard, isn’t Doc Samson still a good guy. (Indeed, in PAD’s hands he’s more interesting that most more famous and more dedicated heroes.)
The Leader is the obvious fanboy choice, but is he a Hollywood choice? He wouldn’t be the sort to fight the Hulk in the manner we are accustomed to seeing in action films (which is why he’s such a compelling villain for a serial format).
June 17th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Uhmm… Samson isn’t a villain. He’s the guy who gets powers by accident and attempts to befriend Banner to help him with his problem. You could have the obligatory misunderstood hero against hero fight scene as Samson tries to calm the Hulk down, but no, a villain in a major motion picture he ain’t.
Now Sam Sterns as the Leader… THAT’S a villain! You make it Brains versus Brawn, and that’s the fight folks want to see. You could even have Sterns control Samson’s mind and force him to fight the Hulk if that battle needs a push.
Just saying…
Marc
Destination Entertainment
“Khrome” a sci fi adventure series coming your way in 2009!
June 17th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Actually… Samson first appeared and tried to help capture the hulk… he was a bit cocky with his Green hair strength. In fact he had that lame haircut …he had to keep it on the short side so he wouldn’t be to strong.
IF anything..if they do have SAMSON… I hope they get a new actor that looks more like him.
June 18th, 2008 at 2:18 am
How the heck does cheese bilge like Gears Of War get to the stage it’s at, yet something as story rich as the Halo universe still isn’t off the ground? Baffled.
June 18th, 2008 at 4:34 am
Sam Sterns was one of the most interesting characters in I. Hulk, though his story was a bit rushed. Not only would it make more sense to bring in the Leader, but the focus on intelligence could be a plot point to make the film version of Hulk a bit more interesting than a green, man-shaped dinosaur.
June 18th, 2008 at 4:41 am
I spotted the leader but where was Samson in the film?
June 18th, 2008 at 8:49 am
I know for a fact that Justice League has been shelved. Despite casting Megan Gale as Wonder Woman and surviving the writers strike the simple reality is that the Australian Dollar is just too strong at the moment and the plan to film it in Australia will be just too expensive.
June 18th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
@Duncan
Samson was the dude dating Betty Ross when Bruce came back.
January 17th, 2011 at 4:48 pm
Blog is good!:) Perhaps you learn me blog myself??