APRIL 2008 News Archive
Live Action Anime Podcast
April 30, 2008
We just finished work on our first podcast tonight and you can check it out right HERE. We discuss many of the movies currently in production and give our thoughts on what's going on with them, including DragonBall, Speed Racer, Hellsing, Transformers, and more. So be sure to check out our premiere episode, and expect many more in the future. If you'd like to leave us some feed back, you can do so over on our Forums.
Speed Racer Movie Review
April 29, 2008
Looks like we have our first look at a review on the upcoming Speed Racer film. Head on over to Obsessed With Film to check it out, but be warned as there are a few tiny spoilers. But here's a snippet of the review that shouldn't ruin anything:
"In a post-Shrek age, when every film marketed at under 13s feels compelled to provide older audiences with knowing winks, Speed Racer’s purity and sincerity are its most refreshing elements. As classic Disney has shown us: if you make a children’s film well, it will appeal to the child in all of us. A big heart, strong morals, family values and a fat kid teamed up with a mischief causing chimp make Speed Racer a winner. It’s much more effective than any of Shrek 3’s tongue-in-cheek Justin Timberlake jokes."
Click on the link above to check out the full review. And don't forget, you can discuss all of this over on our Forums.
Also, you guys have probably noticed we took down the pictures of the DragonBall movie posters. This was per Fox's request. In themeantime though, there's a snippet of news that we hadn't put up yet that you might not have seen regarding the movie. James Marsters was at the Torchwood Convention over in London this past weekend. You can find a full report and discussion on it over on the Forums.
Live Action Higurashi Sequel Planned!
April 29, 2008
According to the official website for the Higurashi anime, a sequel to the, yet to be released, live action adaptation is already being planned.
The first film is being adapted from the Onikakushi-hen story arc and is directed by Ataru Oikawa. It opens in Japanese theaters May 10th, 2008. For more information and to check out the very cool trailer go to the official site.
Then come back and discuss on our Forums!
UPDATE: DragonBall Poster Confirmed!
April 27th, 2008
Looks like we were right in our assumptions. Slash Film has posted the English version of the DragonBall movie poster.
PICTURE REMOVED
Thanks to forum member Jappo for the heads up. Don't forget you can discuss this new poster over on the Forums.
Could This Be The Dragonball Poster?
April 27th, 2008
Thanks to cyborg17 for pointing out that Dragonballfilm.over-blog has that posted up what appears to be the Dragonball movie poster.
PICTURE REMOVED
According to the site it was originally posted on a Japanese blog. And a user on IMDB says the tagline on the poster translates to, "The Legend Becomes Reality."
It looks pretty legit to me. The thing that makes me lean more toward it being real is that it's not just a graphic. It's a picture of a poster in a light box. Which means this could have possibly been displayed at a convention or something like that. If it is the poster then it looks pretty cool! I guess time will tell. We'll keep you updated.
In the mean time discuss this on the Forums!
Want To Be In Transformers 2?
April 26, 2008
IESB.net reports that:
"The Air Force is looking for airmen to appear as extras this summer in the sequel to 2007’s Transformers.
The production company wants to use service members as much as possible and is forming two teams. Projected dates for the Shanghai Team are June 2-4 and July 22-25. Projected dates for the Forrest Team are June 16-17, June 23, Aug. 22 and Sept. 15-16. Volunteers must be available for all the dates the team is scheduled to shoot.
Military volunteers must take leave, fill out an off-duty employment form and provide two head-and-shoulder photos of front and side views, according to Senior Master Sgt. Vincent Aragona, an Air Force liaison for the movie. Additionally, volunteers need to be familiar with weapons and ground combat operations.
E-mail contact information, photos and team preference to: Vincent.aragona@afnews.af.mil and Vincent.aragona@losangeles.af.mil. For more information, call Senior Master Sgt Vincent Aragona at (310) 235-7532."
There's a little more information on it over at IESB. So if you're in the airforce and want to be in a movie, here's your chance! And don't forget you can fly over and discuss this on our Forums!
Alex Tuis Talks Dragonball
April 26, 2008
Thanks to Craigdbfan for pointing this out. Alex Tuis, the creature concept artist, briefly mentions Dragonball on his myspace blog when he says:
"I have recently learned by Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff that I finally can add my name on IMDB Dragon Ball movie credits! For me it is really important even if it is not my work that you currently see on the internet..I do not make Make-up, so maybe you will see things in a Making Off Artbook. Do not know..."
Discuss on our Forums!
Chow Yun Fat Goes the Extra Mile
April 23, 2008
Movieland has posted a blog entry from Gregory Charles, an assitant to Chow Yun Fat. In it, he explains what exactly he did and how determined Fat was to excel in his role of Master Roshi:
"Mr. Chow is no slacker. By the time we began filming, his pronunciation was excellent dialog, not perfect but excellent none-the-less. Even so, work on my location was not easy. It required intense concentration to listen to every syllable of his dialog, note the areas that needed improvement, analyse areas which were within his immediate grasp or absolutely needed improvement and use the most efficient method possible to communicate the needed changes to him, all within seconds of completion of each shot. It was challenging and tiring but we did a pretty good job."
You can read the full article HERE as well as discuss it over on our Forums.
20th Century Boys Teaser
April 23, 2008
The official Live-Action 20th Century Boys website has posted up a short teaser trailer. CLICK HERE to go check it out.
"The teaser displays the "Book of Prophecy" that plays a crucial role in the story and lists the director Yukihiko Tsutsumi (Trick, Ikebukuro West Gate Park).
20th Century Boys is a science fiction mystery manga created by Naoki Urasawa. It follows Kenji and his friends as they start to notice a series of odd occurences related to their childhood. A mysterious cult-leader named "friend" is out to destroy the world, and it has something to do with Kenji's childhood memories." (Source)
Discuss on our Forums!
Death Note Live Action Movies Coming to N. America!
April 23, 2008
The Anime News Network reports that Viz Media is bringing "Death Note", the live action adaptation of the popular Manga and Anime, to US theatres for 2 nights only.
The movie, along with an exclusive 20 minutes special feature on "how the manga translates to live action as well as the first-ever interview with Director Shusuke Kaneko", will show on more than 300 theatres, and then be released on DVD later this year, followed shortly by the sequel "Death Note: The Second Note". Rather than being shown with Japanese Dialog and subtitles the feature has been dubbed over by the current American cast of the anime licensed by Viz.
Special preorder tickets were made available April 18-20 to subscribers of the Shonen Jump e-mail newsletter, but are now available to the general public. Check your local paper or "Fandango.com" to see if Death Note will be playing near you.
Discuss this great news on our Forums!
Speed Racer Standee
April 23, 2008
The Italian website BadTaste.it has posted up a pic of the Speed Racer Standee. Check it out below.
Discuss on the Forums.
New Speed Racer Photos, and Sequel Talk!
April 22, 2008
First up, the good folks over at Latino Review have gotten some new Speed Racer pics. Like the one below. Click the pic to check out the rest of them.
And second, could there be a Speed Racer sequel in our future? Frosty from Collider.com had a one on one with producer Joel Silver at a recent press junket in Long Beach. He states:
"To answer your immediate question…I loved the movie... What I found out was the Wachowski’s have already figured out an idea for a sequel to “Speed Racer.”
The article also talks about the next Wachowski project entitled, NINJA ASSASSIN. It's a good read. Check out the full article here. And don't forget, you can discuss this and the new pics on our Forums!
Michael Bay laughs like Nelson, HAHA!
April 21, 2008
Straight from the horse's mouth, on his very own Shoot For the Edit forum.
"Sorry everyone, everything you are reading (other then we are shooting in Philly) is false. We are going to give so much disinformation on this film to confuse everyone -
Michael "
So yeah. There you go. You can discuss how wrong everybody has been on our Forums.
Robin Shou joins Street Fighter!
April 21, 2008
According to the official Street Fighter Production blog Robin Shou (Mortal Kombat) has joined the cast.
"Rounding out our cast, portraying Gen, the sage kung-fu master and Chun Li’s mentor, will be none other than…Robin Shou! Sound familiar? It should. Robin already brought one of the most famous video game characters of all time to life, as Mortal Kombat’s Liu Kang. So it should come as no surprise that Street Fighter will be right up his alley."
Click the picture below to visit the blog and check out a hi-res version. And don't forget you can discuss all the happenings of the new Street Fighter movie on our Forums!
Ain't It Cool, a review of Speed Racer!
April 20, 2008
Hey there everyone. Just thought I'd post up a link to an early review of the upcoming Speed Racer. Ain't It Cool News had it sent in from a LUCKY user Evenblade, who got a chance to check it out early.
"Warner Bros. was awesome enough to host this screening and I was lucky enough to know a kid with lots of friends and an extra pass. We were some of the first in line and after a lot of bitching decided to get seats near the back of the theatre. After the screening they had us go to a different house so we could see the first reel again in IMAX. Again, my friends wanted to sit in the way back, so I can't say what the film would be like for someone seeing the film down by the front of the theater, but I can try to put into words my reactions on the experience as a whole.
Speed Racer is orgasmic."
Read the full review HERE and remember you can discuss on our Forums.
Three New Pics From Dragonball!
April 18, 2008
Dragonball Movie Blog has gotten it's hands on three new pics from Dragonball. Like this one below of Jamie Chung and Justin Chatwin.
Check out the other two and discuss them at the same time on our Forums!
DragonBall Movie Discussed on Mexican Program
April 17, 2008
Recently, the DragonBall movie was discussed on a Mexican television program and was found on Youtube by DBthemovie. There's a general translation of the video's content as well:
"The man who is being interviewed then reveals that this takes place during the end of Dragonball and during the beginning of Dragonball Z ( Giving a reason as to why Goku is 18). He also talks about how 20th Century Fox didn’t ( and still doesn’t) want to release the least bit of information regarding the plot. He states that when he wanted to ask a question they would tell him to quiet down and not ask about anything about the film that would reveal to much. This is important he states that they might give a prologue during the beginning of the film showing Goku as a child he then says this is all speculation of course because 20th Century Fox wouldn’t release any information regarding the plot."
To see the whole translation, visit the link above, and don't forget you can discuss this new vid over on our Forums.
Street Fighter Production Blog Goes Live!
April 16, 2008
The official production blog for the upcoming 20th Century Fox live action movie, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li, is now online!
"What up guys and gals– fanboys and gamers– welcome one and all to the OFFICIAL BLOG for STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN LI! Your new pal Aaron here, comin’ to ya live from location in Bangkok, Thailand where all the action (and believe me we’ve had plenty of it) has been goin’ down every day. Excuse the mess, we’re still under construction on the site, so bare with us por favor…"
The new street fighter is directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak (Doom, Cradle 2 the Grave), and stars Kristen Kreuk (Smallville) and Michael Clarke Duncan (Sin City, Daredevil). The film is set to drop in 2009.
Check out the full cast and cool storyboard over at www.streetfightermovie.net. And don't forget you can discuss all this news with other fans on our FORUMS.
Oldies But Goodies
Upon the release of the latest slew of news, I thought I'd do some searching and let everyone know of a couple other Anime-to-Film adaptations that are in the works over in Hollywoodland. Things that were reported before this homepage went up, but not everyone might know about.
ROBOTECH - " After slipping on a mask for Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire might just morph into a giant robot for "Robotech." Warner Brothers Pictures has picked up the rights to bring anime classic "Robotech," which featured giant robots known as mechas, to the big screen. Maguire is producing through his Maguire Entertainment banner and is eyeing the lead role in what the studio plans on being a tentpole sci-fi franchise. " The Hollywood Reporter
VOLTRON - Back in June of 2007 Latino Review put up a script review of the Voltron screenplay by Justin Marks, title Voltron: Defender of the Universe. The movie will be distributed by 20th Century Fox. Click here to read the review and find out why El Mayimbe gives the screenplay an A+!
A Whole Lotta News! (4/15/08)
With all of our recent site updates and changes taking place, we haven't had a chance to update the news. And boy has there been a lot of news in the past 48 hours on various projects. Hopefully we'll be able to get the news up on time now, but if we're runing a little late still with the news this week, just know it's becuase we're busy working on the site itself. But let's catch up now. On with the news!
DragonBall Live Action Movie Sequel Plot Points
Today, Movie Land posted up an interview with executive producer on the DragonBall movie, Tim Van Rellim. In it, Van Rellim discusses how a sequel is pretty much a done deal, how great and easy it is to shoot in Durango, and talks about some of the plot points. There will be no spoiler alerts here unless it's something dramatically changed from the manga. In this case, it's not, and if you're here then you already know what happens in the DragonBall storyline.
That being said, it seems that Goku will in fact die in the beginning of the sequel, apparently from the fight with Raditz. To discuss this and see more, check out our Forums.
Steven Spielberg Gets Ghost in the Shell Live Action Movie
Looks like everyone favorite cyper-punk anime series is going to get revamped as a 3D live action film. Variety reported this Monday that Dreamworks had secured the rights to make the film based on Masamune Shirow's story. Avi Arad, Ari Arad, and Steven Paul of Seaside Entertainment are going to produce the film and had brought the project to the studio. Jamie Moss, whose credits include "Street Kings", will be writing the adaptation. And of course, Steven Spielberg is on board to direct the film.
" 'Ghost in the Shell' is one of my favorite stories," Spielberg said. "It's a genre that has arrived, and we enthusiastically welcome it to DreamWorks." We'll get more news to you on this film as soon as we hear it. Until then, discuss this over on our Forums .
Shyamalan Talks About Avatar Live Action Movie
It may not be technically anime, but it's based on anime style and it's now going live action. That's right, the popular Nickelodeon show, Avatar: The Last Airbender was confirmed a while back, and Empire was able to talk with M Night Shayamalin about the production on the film. The movie will be shot in several locations including Philadelphia and Greenland. Click on the link above to read the full article, or check it out over on the Forums.
James Marsters Appears at Grand Slam XVI
This past weekend, James Marsters, who will be portraying Piccolo in the DragonBall movie, was a guest over at Creation Entertainment's Grand Slam XVI Convention this past weekend in LA. He said a few things about the film while there:
"[He was asked] if he liked Durango and he said the place was amazing and that he enjoyed the scenery and the way light was reflected on it. He also talked about some rock formations and how much his ass was kicked while filming. He said later on that he did his own stunts so I think he was talking about it." You can read more, including the whole excerpt of the selection above at many of the links found HERE or just go to our Forums to check out what else took place.
Official Speed Racer Site Updated
This past Monday, the official site for the Speed Racer live action movie was updated. But not only the site itself got a face lift, but a new, international trailer is on the front page. To check out the awesome, and longer new trailer, go to www.speedracerthemovie.com. And don't forget to discuss it over on our Forums too.
We would like to welcome you all to sit down to a nice warm bowl of Sweet Ramen. Our little bi-monthly (as in one every TWO months, not two a month) multi-column, looking at manga and anime related news in America, the United Kingdom, and of course Japan. Sweet Ramen is written by our very own SweetRamen.
So why don’t you go check out one of our new features to the site to go along with the new layout. Enjoy!
Live Action Anime 2.0 (4/12/08)
Well if you can’t tell by now we are in the process of revamping the layout of the website. This is going to be a process that’s going to take a few days. So if you happen to run into a problem please contact us by sending an email to submissions@liveactionanime.org. At this moment (2:18pm) the only part of the site that has gotten revamped is the main home page so if you are thinking the rest of the site isn’t working properly at this moment that’s probably why. We will have most if not all of the rest of the site finished by tomorrow night.
We would like to thank Mssj. Vegeta for allowing us to use his banner design for the main website.
On another subject you might have noticed the anime character by LAA Extras and down on the bottom left side of the page. Well that would be are sites new mascot provided by Baka Saru. We would like to thank you for your hard work, and being able to put up with a dozen different opinions at the same time yet still come up with exactly what everyone was looking for.
What can you expect to see in LAA Extras every month? New Columns, Reviews, and a few special things we are still working on but can’t yet talk about. Expect to hear more on that in the very near future. At this time we are still working on the site so all we will have up on LAA Extras for today are some of are older columns and reviews.
Stick with us and keep checking up on the site today for more information.
Adam
aka.
Amanz
Transformers 2 May be Coming to Philadelphia (4/9/08)
According to Super Hero Hype, radio station KYW 1060 in Philadelphia aired an interview with the executive director of the Great Philadelphia Film Office, Sharon Pinkenson. In the interview, she basically confirms Transformers 2 being shot in Philly, saying "the destruction part is going to be digitally enhanced." We'll keep you updated as more news becomes available. For now, you can discuss the movie on our Forums.
Hellsing Gets the Live Action Treatment (4/9/08)
Live Action Anime has received conformation that a Live Action Hellsing is being made.
Unfortunately we aren’t able to say anything else about the movie at this time.
You can bet that we won't be hearing anything else about it for a few months as it seems this trailer wasn't meant to be seen. We will keep you posted as more information is revealed though, so in the meantime, discuss the big news over on our Forums.
Esurance Exclusive on Speed Racer (4/7/08)
Esurance has some exclusive footage and cast interviews over on its website. Check it out to see an in depth look of what goes on in the world of Speed Racer. You can discuss this over on our Forums.
Edward French Divulges DragonBall Info (4/6/08)
Make-up artist Edward French recently responded to an e-mail from forum member Cyborg17 aka the administrator over at DragonBall Film, so a big thanks to him for forwarding us this information. French talked a bit about his role and what he has done for the Lord Piccolo character:
" I can say that it was a 4 hour make-up that I applied many times over a month and a half andthat James Marsters was a very pleasant and professional actor to work with. In fact, I enjoyed working with him more than any actor I've applied prosthetic make-up to."
To read the full report, click on the link at the top of this news posting. Don't forget, you can discuss this over on our Forums.
More, Clearer DragonBall Photos (4/5/08)
Looks like Joblo.com got a hold of some actual, clear pics of the DragonBall film. Hurry and check out their site to see all of the pictures while you can!
Don't forget, you can discuss all of this over on our Forums.
EDIT: Fox demanded the photos be taken down so they are no longer available.
Blue Dragon Premiers on Cartoon Network Tonight (4/5/08)
Akira Toriyama's latest anime, Blue Dragon, will be hitting Cartoon Network tonight (April 5th) at 9 PM ET/PT. Toriyama was responsible for all the character designs and most of the artwork.
Here's a quick synopisis of the show from Cartoon Network:
"Sealed away long ago by the Seven Soldiers of Light, the power of the Shadow has finally reawakened within a boy name Shu through the form of the mighty Blue Dragon! Joining with friends both old and new, he must fight the wicked Nene and stop him from using shadow power to rule the world."
New Characters Revealed for Transformers 2 (4/5/08)
IESB.net has the scoop on some new Transformers news. Looks like we have some new bots to look forward too, specifically the Constructicons. In the original cartoon, the bots were referred to as Scrapper, Bonecrusher, Scavenger, Mixmaster, Hook and Long Haul, which all formed the bot known as Devastator. It would seem that the individual Constructicon names will be changed, since the name Bonecrusher was already used in the first film, as well. Also, new human characters were announced as well:
"[CHUCK] 19-25 yrs., Sam's roommate at Princeton. He runs a conspiracy theory website. Funny in an irreverent, edgy way, he is shocked to see his conspiracy theories come to life. (2nd Lead)
[U.S. MILITARY LEADER] Late 20s/early 30s, African American with a great sense of humor and a tough military presence. (Supporting lead)
[UK SPECIAL FORCES LEADER] British, in his early to mid 30s, smart and capable. Can be Caucasian, Black, East Indian. (Supporting lead)
[GALLOWAY] Early 40s-early 50s, male, National Security Advisor and presidential liaison. A curt man who is tightly wound. (Supporting Lead)
[PROFESSOR COLAN] 40s, Sam's physics professor at Princeton. He's a self-satisfied intellectual who compares himself to Einstein, and is arrogant enough to wear leather pants to look cool. (1 Scene)
[THERESA] Early 30s; she's Sgt. Epps' wife, has 4 kids, sassy and sexy, good with comedy. Submit African American actresses only
[MOMMA SIMMONS] This NY Momma is in her late 60s / early 70s. She runs a deli/ butcher shop with her son in Brooklyn. Tough and sarcastic. (1 Scene)
[MASSIVE DYNAMICS CEO] 50s, male, this Corporate CEO appears in front of congress to testify. (1 speech/scene)
[TEXAS CONGRESSMAN] 55-65 yrs., on a Congressional Committee investigating the purpose of the "Automated Defensive Initiative" developed by Massive Dynamics.
[FBI DIRECTOR] Mid 50s, male, giving a press release assuring the public they will be safe against attacks. (1 speech/scene)
[CNN REPORTER] Reporting on missile strikes and bombings in various cities. Submit male / female, all ethnicities (1 speech)."
You can head on over and discuss this on our Forums.
New DragonBall Pictures (4/4/08)
Thanks to a local TV show in Durango, Movieland has acquired a BUNCH of new photos from the DragonBall set. You can see a fraction of these below, and the rest HERE:
EDIT: PHOTOS REMOVED
Be sure to check out our Forums for the ongoing discussion.
EDIT: DragonBall NOT Having Budget Problems (4/2/08)
With a $100 million budget, who would think that DragonBall would be having problems with money? Well according to a report by Movie Land, that seems to be just the case. According to the report, about 75 million pesos (roughly $7,000) are left in the film's budget. Apparently too much was spent on meals, fuel, souvenirs, etc by the actors and crew. This could compromise costs for post-production, if more funds don't come in. To discuss this, head on over to our Forums .
EDIT: Apparently our translation of Movieland's article was wrong. The translation correctly says how Durango made a profit of over 75 million pesos due to the film being shot in its city. You can see a full translation on our Forums.
Transformers 2 Underway Already? (4/2/08)
Looks like Michael Bay might be preparing to commence shooting for the highly anticipated Transformers 2 a bit earlier than expected. Internet Business Daily has posted some pictures of several police cars on a tow truck. Except these aren't regular police cars; it's Barricade, with matching Decepticon logo:
More pictures are available at the link above. According to the photographer, these were taken in Culver City. Optimus Prime was also spotted on a seperate trailer on a freeway:
You can find some more pics of Optimus Prime over on Super Hero Hype. So we don't know if this is a relocation of all the vehicles or not, but once more news surfaces, we'll let you know. You can discuss all of these findings over on our Forums.
New Speed Racer Pictures and Poster (4/2/08)
Couple of new things surfacing for the upcoming Speed Racer film. First off, Warner Bros. supplied Latino Review with some awesome new pictures:
You can check out more pictures at the link above. Also, a new lenticular poster for the movie has also debuted. For those that haven't seen a lenticular poster, it's essentially a 3-D poster which you can manipulate slightly with a click of the mouse. To check it out go HERE. And don't forget, you can discuss all of this over on our Forums.
Marsters Getting Ready for DragonBall Prep Tour (4/1/08)
In a recent interview with Digital Spy, James Marsters had a quick word or two to say about prepping for the release of the DragonBall movie:
"I just got back from filming Dragonball, so I'm healing from that. I'm going back to do Smallville next week and think I'll be doing Torchwood again before too long. Then resting, and basically working out - Dragonball is all about muscles and I can't be doing the press tour for it without muscles. I gotta pump my pecs. Girls like boobs too, you know."
You can discuss this over on our Forums.
