The new CG “Astro Boy” film, which has been set for a 2009 release, has found a new director in David Bowers, known most recently for his work on “Flushed Away.” The director was brought in to replace Colin Brady (”Everyone’s Hero”) who had previously been announced as director of the film. ”Astro Boy” is being produced by Imagi Studio’s, hot off the success of last year’s “TMNT.” Bowers has had a noteworthy career in animation, working on high-profile films like “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and “The Prince of Egypt.” “Astro Boy,” the story of earth’s robot protector, designed by a scientist to replace his dead son, is one of the most successful and recognized characters from Japanese manga and animation. Imagine Superman and Mickey Mouse rolled into one character.
I’m glad Imagi’s sticking to a format that works for them: take an established franchise and make a computer animated film out of it. I was really impressed with how faithful “TMNT” tried to be to the original material while still being accessible to a new audience. Imagi may be the only major animation studio qualified to make a CG film out of “Astro Boy” without ignoring the original material and possibly winning some new fans to Osamu Tezuka’s classic character. I can’t wait to see the trailer.
