Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack) to write and direct Astroboy

[Khephra]

Sony Pictures Entertainment has struck a deal with animator Genndy Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack) to write and direct its long-in-development film version of the classic Japanese animated series Astroboy, Variety reported. Don Murphy of Angryfilms is producing, with Lisa Henson and Kristine Belson of Jim Henson Pictures, for Sony's Columbia Pictures, the trade paper reported.

snip........

Insiders told the trade paper that the movie will blend animation, animatronics and live action. Osamu Tezuka, often called the Walt Disney of Japan, created Astroboy.

more.........

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-main.html?2004-06/04/09.30.film

[MarianJack]

1. As a Boy...

...I always preferred "8th Man", myself!

[Khephra]

2. Tartakovsky is a prefect match for the material though

Hell, just skip the movie and do a weekly all-animated show. His work is some of the best original animation that we've seen in the US in a long time.

[Tom Kitten]

7. Agreed!

Dexter and Samurai Jack are great original characters! See my post below...

Have you seen this?

http://www.geocities.com/electricmonk.geo/dexdance.html

Is there any Dexter or Jack on dvd available? No luck for me so far...

[Khephra]

8. I'm not sure...I think they have a few "Best of" collections out

and the one made-for-tv movie of Dexter that's been done.

[Bridget Burke]

13. Yes,--Samurai Jack is on DVD

Season 1 is 20.99 at Amazon; The Pilot is also available.

www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0001HAI0E/qid=1086441863/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-9040466-2288954?v=glance&s=dvd

Interesting: "Customers who bought this DVD also bought Bubba Ho-Tep (Limited Collector's Edition)." So many people with exquisite taste!

(Dexter's Lab was apparently released in VHS & is only available used.)

[solinvictus]

14. Samurai Jack

The 2 hour premier plus bonus stuff is at Wal Mart for about $5 on DVD.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

3. wow..someone else remembers 8th Man. Do you also recall...

"Gigantor" and "Marine Boy".

There seemed to be a fair bit of early animie on US kids televsiion in the 60s...

[Tom Kitten]

9. yes!

Also Prince Planet and the Amazing Three!

Also a very weird 1967 movie I remember from seeing on tv called "Jack and the Witch"...Extremely bizarre film!If interested, check out this review...

http://www.coldfusionvideo.com/j/jacknwitch.html

[MarianJack]

12. Oh, Boy!...

...DO I EVER! How about "Prince Planet"?

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

4. Samurai Jack wasnt done by a Japanese?

..but by a Russian?

Thats interesting.

[Tom Kitten]

5. hmmm...

I feel a little ambivalent upon hearing this news...as a kid, I loved Tezuka's creations Astroboy, Kimba, and the Amazing Three, as well as other early animae like Gigantor and Tobor the 008 Man...but to me they're period pieces, animation has evolved so far since the 60s I see no point in bringing back old characters. They brought back Gigantor and Kimba awhile back, they just didn't have the charm of the old cartoons.

As for a movie that will blend animation, animatronics, and live action, I think of Ralph Bakshi and say to myself "{ugh}"!

Tartakovsky is great, Samurai Jack I really enjoyed on many levels, it was just a gorgeous cartoon...(At least what I saw of it before I discontinued getting cable)

Plus Tartakovsky created Dexter's Laboratory, probably my favorite all-time cartoon, when I first saw it about 5 years ago (it had already ended its run and was being repeated but they were all new to me) I loved it and found myself setting my vcr and looking forward to watching it every day when I came home from work (and I was in my late 30s!) I was happy when I heard there would be new episodes, but when they finally appeared I was so disappointed in the loss of quality I eventually lost interest in it...So much for reviving beloved favorites! Of course Tartakovsky had almost nothing to do with the revival...

I'll just have to adopt a "wait and see" attitude, that's all...But the entertainment world has a habit of burning out "bright lights", I can't say I'm very enthusiastic upon hearing this.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

10. Dexter was an international hit...

..when my folks and niece where on vacation in Switzerland, it was on TV in Geneva, but in French!

[Khephra]

11. Dexter, along with many of Cartoon Network's original shows,

belong in a group which I call "Things I didn't like at first but became fans of after some exposure."

Dexter, Samuri, Teen Titans, Justice League, Adult Swim, Powerpuff Girls...the list goes on and on. I think I could survive (cable-wise) with Cartoon, Sci-fi, Comedy, CSPAN1-3, BBCA and PBS. Maybe HBO and Showtime for their original shows, but I don't mind waiting for DVD since we have great tv setups over here.

[Nlighten1]

6. Samurai Jack is one of my favorite cartoons ever.

My oldest daughter and I used to watch this together every night. I don't know anything about Astroboy but with Genndy on board it should be cool.