James Wong Making DRAGON BALL Z

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Posted by Will Reynolds. Last modified on October 2nd, 2007 at 08:24pm

20th Century Fox’s quest for Oscar gold will have to wait another as news hit the web today, courtesy of the folks at CHUD, that they’re making a live-action version of the manga/anime series DRAGON BALL Z.

James Wong, the prolific TV producer/director (with X-FILES and MILLENNIUM) and the man behind FINAL DESTINATION and THE ONE, will direct the feature in Montreal starting in November.

Also at CHUD are casting details, including a description of lead character Goku:-

[GOKU] 18 years old, Goku is considered uncool and unpopular at school, but he is in fact an extremely talented martial arts fighter who gets rigorous training from his grandfather, Gohan. After the death of his grandfather by the evil Lord Piccolo, Goku finds his destiny in his grandfather’s dying request that he find Master Roshi and gather all seven Dragon Balls (of which he has one) in order to prevent Piccolo from succeeding in his desire to use the dragonballs to take over the world. Trained by Master Roshi, aided by Bulma and Yamcha, friends he meets along the way, Goku proves himself a formidable, almost undefeatable fighter. On many dangerous adventures to find the remaining Dragon Balls and thus save the world, Goku conquers physical and emotional challenges, ultimately saving the world but clearly impelled to spend his life searching for the Dragon Balls with his trusty companions…LEAD

I remember M. Night Shyamalan being linked to this series eons ago but he’s now attached to the similar sounding AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER. I expect Wong will give the Fox executives exactly what they’re looking for.

Akira Toriyama originated DRAGON BALL Z in manga form and it was sequelised as an anime series.

source - chud

Categories: Movie News

11 Comments »

Why are they changing the story so much and why didn’t they start with the saiyan saga. This movie is going to be crap!!!

Comment by Kjoker | October 3, 2007

this is going to be the start of the series.You just cant start with the saiyan saga.You have to find out who the characters are first and then the rest of the sagas can come out.

Comment by mikec | October 3, 2007

What is this trash? DBZ live action is a bad idea; rushing it and giving it to a teen-death movie director is worse. All he’s doing is mixing goku with his son, gohan. Mixing piccolo with raditz, and mixing chi-chi with videl. Of course, by the character descriptions I’ve read, he’s doing it in the worse way possible. Way to ruin Db’s rep Fox, by making it another crap movie like that DOA movie. Be sure to make it worse by castin skinny puny actors to play these super buff characters while you’re at it. ;)

Comment by WHAT?! | October 5, 2007

Some things should be left untouched. Making this into a live-action film would absolutely ruin the DBZ franchise. No good can come out of this.

Comment by GD | October 6, 2007

There is a good way to make this film and a bad way to make this film. Fox is making it the bad way.

Comment by Professor Chaos | October 24, 2007

I’m not sure there really is a good way to make this film, unless they hire Toriyama to write the script and do it as a full-length animated feature. Which, of course, would never happen.

Comment by cambion | October 24, 2007

visit my thread http://www.movieweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18610

i think they got something wrong, coz they said they were doing saiyan saga, i think marsters is playing vegeta, cos ffs he should be, and chris judge should be piccolo!! justin chatwin could be good as goku if he gets the right look, and character. I wish i had james wong’s e-mail, ffs, marsters would make an awesome vegeta, can u think of someone who is better suited, he is awesome as a bad attitude, from stuff like buffy, he occassionaly is a bit mopey in buffy, like in the broly movie, and o yeah he has played a character who had blonde, gelled hair for years, how couldnt you see that! and for another thing chris judge has like the most fitting character for piccolo!!!! LOOK AT STARGATE!!!

Comment by tom paulo | November 14, 2007

[...] Dragonball movie, a live-action adaptation that we first wrote about here, has a struggle on its hands if it wants to buck the [...]

Pingback by Obsessed With Film » DRAGONBALL, the latest cruddy Fox tentpole gets cast | November 14, 2007

come on just see how it turns out and stoppppppp fussing

Comment by GRAEHAM | January 11, 2008

I would make an awsome vegeta. I have all of the seasons and can do vegeta’s voice perfectly on the money and work out everyday so im pretty dieseled. I wish i had James Wong’s email because he would agree

Comment by Kyle Stone | July 30, 2008

ps my email is kstone@wilmington.edu

Comment by Kyle Stone | July 30, 2008