Live-Action Dragon Ball Z Movie Gets its Cast
By Nix | November 13, 2007 (8:40 pm) | More: Dragonball (2009) Movie, Movie News
After announcing James Wong as the director of the upcoming “Dragon Ball Z” movie (apparently to be called just “Dragonball” in its big-screen incarnation), Twentieth Century Fox has given the movie the go-ahead and scheduled it for a Summer 2008 release date, which seems way too early, but then I’m not a big time movie studio. The Hollywood Reporter reports that Justin Chatwin and James Marsters have been cast in the film as the film’s hero and villain, respectively, with James Wong still directing. Chatwin was most recently in David S. Goyer’s “The Invisible”, while Marsters is most known to Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans as Spike the vampire.
More about the movie:
The story follows an adult humanoid alien named Goku, who discovers that he was sent to Earth to blend in and destroy our population but instead elects to protect it from an oncoming alien onslaught bent on dominating the universe and controlling the mystical objects from which the film takes its name.
Chatwin, who will play Goku, has already begun training under the auspices of stunt performance company 87Eleven, which has executed and designed action pieces in pictures such as “The Matrix,” “The Bourne Supremacy,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and “300.” Marsters is playing the villainous Piccolo.
Also mentioned in the article is that the movie is being produced by Stephen Chow.
The ball drops Summer 2008.
Why the hell are these guys playing these roles there is no way in hell Chatwin can look or even get close to the build of Goku, and The other one is way to tall to play Vegeta this long awaited movie is going to be ruined before it even starts!!
First of all, the villain is King Piccollo (piccollos dad), not vegeta. Second, it’s set before the series of DBZ starts..when it was just called “Dragonball” and they were all younger..so Chatwin is perfect for the part. Trust me.
the movie isnt only dragonball its also z since vegta is joining (obvious) along with the fact that the summary sais the movie is about a guy named goku who is going to save earth from villains SUCH AS lord picollo so…..
do u kno wen its comin out? seriously im a big fan ofit forl ike 9 years
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No, trust me, there are other people that can definitely play a better young Goku. Casting really messed up in a long awaited movie.
I THINK YOU WERE WRITE AND THAT OTHER GUY WAS WORNG AND THIS MOVIE IS TOTLEY GOING TO ROCK beter then IRONMAN DBZ is going to tto be the best movie of 09…
DBZ IS GOINGTO HEY MOM GET OUT OF MY ROOM SARRY I THIS NEW LAB TOP THAT WRITES EVERY THING I SAY BACK TO WHAT I WAS SAYING DBZ IS GOING TO ROCK SO HARD THE EARTH IS GOING TO SHAKE YHA!!!
this is gonna be a crisis in the asian community. they can play those roles when they turn super saiyans. but not normal mode, goku and vegeta look asian…. good for american viewers but dbz was born and viewed in asia for a long long time. theres gonna be hell.
Goku and Vegeta do not look Asian, what’s going on with you people!? Everybody looks white on DBZ not asian, not black, only caucasian! It would be fine if everybody was asian on DBZ, I would be just as big of a fan, but they’re not! Why would asian’s have a problem with white people playing the roles of DBZ characters, they made them white. And for the people that think who they cast for Goku is ridiculous, look at Ryan Reynolds in Blade 3, anything is possible!
A Mexican actress named Camila Sodi is playing Bulma.
lol trust these guys wouldnt have been cast if they werent perfect for the job this movie will be a classic just like the first modern spiderman movie.
Emmy Rossum is actually playing bulma. she’ll be great!!
i dont think the movie is gonna be bad. these dudes up here are stuck on the cartoon. stop the hate an wait for it. besides gorge lucas is gonna involved an name a wack movie he was in
this movie is going to suck
Is this stuff serious. Did he try to find actors that look NOTHING like the real characters, I pray that the CGI will make up for the poor casting. We can only wait and see!!!!
On a serious note. Some of you are living in the past and would rather relive the animated series before trying to enjoy a live action. I’ve been a Dragonball fan for about 11 years now. I for one will welcome a change in the dragonball era and more than likely be astonished at what the can do in a live action movie. Give it a chance before you critasize.
why would they make a dragonball movie….and the guy for goku looks like a fag…this movie is gonna suck…i mean if u wanna make it a movie why not make it animated or sumthin….or if any of you have played tenkaichi 2 and 3…in the intro movie….they should be like dat..it would b much better trust me…dragonball z is coming in theaters da first time so make a really gud 1 jeez…..y screw it up…
This movie should have casted a china man or any oriental kung fu expert like for example Ernie reyes jr. I mean come on, that shouldn’t be hard. Just go to china and find a young kung fu expert. Shouldn’t be too hard to find. don’t have a white dude to play Kakarot, or Vegeta. Picillo should have been played by a black dude. I’m latino and I say let a china man brotha play Kakarot and Vegeta. I’m not prejudice, just saying bad casting call for the race portraying Kakarot. Oriental karate experts will make it a good fighting sequence. Since they really are better at it, and look warrior type as a saiyan should be, cause they been practicing the art of fighting style for thousands of years. Here is an example people, “BRUCE LEE”,
You see china mens race like to stay in shape, and that will be perfect cause when Kakarot turns ss1 he gets a little bit bigger and Kakarot in each series got in better shape everytime. So you see they should have casted oriental brothas. Justin Chatwin has to stay in shape for a long time and probably even for the sequel. He has to portray Kakarot to the fullest and I don’t think he can pull it off on and off the set. training wise that is. He will let Hollywood get to him like it got to Britany. Training that is. A karate expert chinamen can portray that because I think since it was them that started it all, they should be the one to star in it. A karate expert chinamen doesn’t like to be in the lime light any damn way. They like to train daily and stay in shape. Sounds like a saiyan to me, You can tell that oriental brothas added some of their heritage in the Dragonball series. Why they let Justin play Kakarot, I don’t know, maybe he can sound like Kakarot. But I like how they had Chris Sabbot voicing Vegeta in Dragonball series, And Sean shemmel as Kakarot. I’m 28 years old and still a fan for 11 years now. Vegeta is my Dawg. He is definetly the prince of all Saiyans. I like chracters that portray themselves as a warrior type. Any character that can get me to fight along with him, I’ll be a fan for life. I excersize and train myself and thinking Prince Vegeta wouldn’t give up, why should I.
if they dont do the goku hair right or have krillan im not seeing it!!!!!!!!!!
i agree goku should be played by the guy who plays wolverin in x-men and piccolo should be played by wesly snipes or vin desiel
who will be playing krillin?
can people stop saying “chinese brothers” they aint ya brothers, i agree that someone oriental shud of played these characters as you said that they keep in shape all the time not jus some hollywood actor that gets in shape for one movie HOWEVER long time fans will admit that chatwin does look like the young goku in dragonball and look at masters eyes and facial features?…..can u not see a piccolo resembelance?… i do beleive in some aspects this movie will suck a bit but just because americans tend to go over board with cheesy acting, there forgetting that REAL martial arts have to be involved in this movie not stupid stunts they will learn and forget, all id say is give it a chance but then if they mess up dragonball z as a sequel which i think shud be done THEN complain. i beleive stephen chow wud of been perfect for goku aswell as story planner and the guy out of fast and furious tokyo drift shud be playing vegeta. enjoy everyone as will i!
Man, I dont even know where to begin. I have been a dragonball(z,gt) fan for a long time and as soon as I heard that they were going to make a live action movie, i got excited but when I have seen the cast, i was like praying for a miracle that this movie would work out. at first I thought…they should put it in CGI like the intro movie of DBZ budokai tenkaichi 3 with a little more realisitic effects. That would have been better because that way they wouldnt screw up the original characters and they wouldnt have to worry about paying acotrs for the roles or casting actors that doesnt really fit the saiyans, namekians, or any of the characters appearence. I mean come on hollywood, just look at some of the people on Ninja Warrior on the G4 channel on tv. If anyone wants to know who I had in mind for the cast feel free to email me
RoySantiago1987@yahoo.com
Everyone who knows the series is pretty much having the same reaction I expect.
Anyway, it seems that the Japanese have started an all out boycott movement against this movie, now google’s all filled with their cries for “Boycott Dragonball!!”
you guys are missing the point,
chatwin is playing junior goku,
its dragonball, not dragonball z,
and they have ppl who worked on the matrix,
look at the last fight of neo and smith and think of the graphic jumps weve made to this point,
i think chatwin would be a good choice for junior goku, and yess i think he needs to bulk up, badly
so matrix final fight times 10,
+ iffy cast
it can go both ways but be positive
Hey wait a minute….. hasn’t this already been done before?
I’m a huge dragon ball z (not dragon ball) fan but i’m familiar with the characters and story of dragon ball and i’m trying to be objective when i say: i think this movie is a little too ambitious. it’s very difficult to translate an anime series such as dragon ball z onto the big screen because honestly, some characters will just seem goofy in live action (Piccolo? is he going to be green with elf ears in the movie? Oolong the pig, Krillin… oh brother).
i fear this movie is going to end up like many other sub-par films based on popular franchises. Remember “Double Dragon”, “Mortal Kombat Annihilation”, “Super Mario Bros”, “Street Fighter”? - They all sucked.
There won’t be a sequel to this film & we’ll have to wait 10 years for a reboot… damn Hollywood execs.
Hey i been reading what you all have to say but i think that this movie is going to the bedest movie of 2008 all the people they got to play i dbz is going todo good but i do think that tony ja should be goku but that is not the cast this movie is goign to be bad ass just look at some of the other movies that was anime truned in to movies daeth note dragonball(real old movie)case close inesion d speed racer (even tho that look like a kid movie) it going to be good think about the kameha wave i will gave it to you cloud throws was some bad movies but when they come out they was good in to time stared to get better then they got dumn and we move on.
I have been a long time fan of the series of dragon ball z. I feel that the series of dragonball dwindles in comparison to the dragon ball z sagas. The character flow and development strength were much better and receieved in dragonball z. I have heard rumors about a live action dragonball, and I literally cannot wait to see it. If they have people working on it that worked on the matrix, this movie is sure to be an amazing visual depiction of what took place in the animated series. If they are to make a movie about this show, I would rather have them start at the beginning of the dragonball z sagas. Start with the saiyan saga. it had a compelling storyline, amazing visual depictions, and character development that has no equal. Overall, give it a chance. the level of technology these days is enough to give this movie a great aspect.
i think they should not remake one of the dragonball saga i think that should do a new story line that way when the movie come out we dont know want is going to happen in it. when X man come there was a lot of people that was mad and did not like that movie or tombrader 1 & 2 so if you are going to ask me they should do a new sage
I dont care what others says about this casting but the important thing is the film and the special effect of this movie. This aint X-Men or Spiderman wer talking about DRAGON BALL Z helllooo!!!! The powers the are greater than nuclear bomb and obcorz the custumes unlike x-men wolverine is not wearing its orinal custume in the animated serries i hope vegeta is gonna were its armour cutume and not other custume design. Will Godblezzzzzzzzzzz on making this movie..
Im a big fan of DRAGON BALL Z to GT actually since birth.
I agree w/ some comments it shud be asian hus doing the role of Son Gokou and Vegeta… Most important of the film is to excite the viewers on the real thing like focusing on the special effect ang its mean character’s and obcourse the original custume they r wearing. DRAGON BALL is i think one of the hardest anime cartoon to portray on a movie and its character’s becoz of the goopy hairstyle will i just wish it will turn out great coz im rely looking 4ward to a real Dragon Ball Movie. SOULFLY
there some more info there like whaqt the battle ground look like and there a vid of the battle ground it look kool and they talk about the movie that come out 8/8/2008
This Movie is not looking to good guys,Got no problem with the cats but lets be honest the plot is gonna suck.Fans Watch the flick to c the transfromations into super saiyans…Goku didnt go super saiyan until frieza!!! What the hell are these guys trying to do…DBZ is legendary amongst viewers all around the globe…Just hope these guys stick to the story and do a good job!!!
They should do it like LOTR, start from vegeta saga (start movie from raditz and end it with goku vs vegeta) then frieza (start it with namek ginyu and finish with frieza vs goku) then cell (start movie with andriods then finish with gohan vs cell) then finally have buu saga (start with tournament then finish with Gohan vs super buu the way it was meant to be before goku fan boys kicked up a stink that goku was not there.
this way it keeps the young guys happy who do not know dragonball and the older fans happy who already know Dragonball.
There is no way the movie is going to turn out good even if they try and polish it up with awesome effects. Even the Fox producers are admitting to this with their latest antics
Have yall read the storyline its takes place when piccolo is still evil an trying to take over the world. Now correct me if im wrong but they were kids when that took place an the james marster guy is playing piccolo not vegeta. I hate to say it but his movie is going to be a true disappointment for fans of the series.
if you really look chatwin really looks like goku just need to be built alittle.
if stephen chow is directing, it’s goin to be the biggest movie of the year no doubt about it
to delay the movie could be a good idea. now remember dragonball movies is big, alot of stunt, characters, theme, robotics, planets, song, comedy and more.
i just all dragonball z movies it took me a week hahah
If only they had Japan producing it with a set of actors who will actually look like who they are acting…
Now all we can to do is see how people from Japan and all over Asia as well as Europe and the Americas boycott this movie even though Fox moved its release to the loser season
I think i have an idea of how the movie would be and how the dragon shenron would be to…if u want to get an idea how shenron might be see the movie Dragon wars
You never can judge casting by looks alone; looks can easily be changed and I’m sure that the actors are training for the parts. There is so much that they could do with the franchise, I wouldn’t even mind something different. And I can’t believe that Japan would be so angry (jealous). They could have made a live-action movie (better than A Magical Beginning) instead of America, we just took the initiative. Overall, I can’t wait to see it when it’s released and form an opinion then.
If Vegeta isnt in the film, im boycotting the film!!!
The cast is actually not that bad. this is DRAGONBALL NOT DRAGONBALL Z!!!!!!!!! You know the series that takes place before DBZ?? I think some of you really need to look into dragonball. Justin Chatwin does resemble Goku at a young age! People need to give this a chance! I know I will! I’m curious as to how they are going to do it! I know they probably won’t follow exactly how the anime looks, or goes, but come on some of that stuff in real life will look silly. Just do us all a favor and watch dragonball before you critize this movie, and I’m not talking about Dragonball Z!!!
that what i am talking about
This is simply ridiculous. Fox is just randomly getting a bunch of actors to make up this sad excuse of a cast, and the plot of the movie!? How dumb can it get!? With all their budget and special effects technology they could only come up with this!? Their HR should really do something about hiring people who understand what they are producer and getting rid of those who don’t!!
If there’s anything that will be silly in real life, it’ll be whatever Americanization antics they’ve come up with in this movie. I’ll rather watch a Japanese production of Dragonball even if the special effects are so fake.
PS, I read somewhere that the Japanese didn’t make a Dragonball live action themselves because their culture is to respect originals, unlike the Americans who ‘rape originals’, as the boycott movement against this movie in Japan puts it.
ok seriously, I went through this whole thread and think many of you are nitwits, can’t you notice that the movie is about DRAGONBALL and not DBZ, come on ppl, read before you comment. I’m open to anything they have coming whether it sucks or not, I’m still behind anything DB, DBZ or DBGT. I think many of the cast look like the characters and whoever criticizes this next step into live action is not a real fan, it’s what some of us have been waiting for forever!!! Just can’t wait for one with Vegeta, coolest badass ever
I’d say those who support this rape of the series by this movie should question themselves if they are true DB fans
It’s Picorro, R’s not l’s if you want to get specific It sounds like an L because there is no R sound in the Japanese language. Anyways I always imagined Billy Bans as the role of Picarro for some reason.
there are no r’s in picolo name
In the Japanese version it is Picarro, if you don’t beleive me rent a movie with Japanese dubbing. I couldn’t beleive it when I saw it but I’ll always refer to him as Piccolo.
i dont care if you are japanese
They should be played by karate legends like Robin Shou or Jackie Chan
i dont think you get it the dont do karate you AZZ know your Sh it okand i think they shoud bring it back tv after GT and not that AF Sh it somthing New
ITS THE KING PICCOLO SAGA, all the ‘’smarties” above justyfing the cast should realize GOKU IS A SMALL KID IN THIS SAGA NOT A YOUNG MAN OR OLD TEEN LIKE JUSTIN.
He is not perfect for it….and btw, google DBZ justin and find the only interview so far….he said HE IS NOT A DBZ FAN…omg you guys do anything to justify hollywood’s BS/
I don’t care if he’s a fan, just as long as he puts full effort into it. If it’s anywhere near good there’s going to be a hell of a lot of sequels to it!
man this would be a great movie but there is just no way
they should keep trying
and what owiem said they should get rid of all the people who dont know what they are
doing to speed up proactive
i thing justin will be a good young goku you all need to stop haten you think that you a japanese will be good at the part but the are not all good actor ether you hate on doggs
The Japanese are already running a boycott against this movie, and people over here are still making up reasons to persuade people that Justin’s a good Goku and the movie’s going to rock, etc.
How much more embarassing can this country get?
Wat people are saying is true. The reason comments are left on this page is because they have watched Dragon Ball or Dragon Ball Z, and have followed the cartoon episodes. And for this catoon to finally come out as a real movie they expect the best! Because the story and mainly the FIGHTING in the cartoon is amazing and defys impossible fighting abilites. To whom reads all of these comments: just make sure the movie comes out AS A HIT AND THE PEO0LE ARENT DISSAPOINTED WHAT YOU BRING OUT ON THE SCREEN …….and yea I agree, every character in the movie should be asian. And if there is gonna be a piccolo he should be green. just like the beast one X-Men Last Stand came blue. Gone.
For everyone that thinks the movie will suck there wrong I’ve read alot of these comments and it seems like alot of people dont even know what there talking about. This movie is going to be about Dragon Ball not Z not GT even though I would agree the better fights were in Z and GT they have to start off with the basic’s and explain The history of everything and everyone before they jump into hell.
If you are against the film, please sign in this site:
http://www.petitiononline.com/dblam444/petition.html
Ralf thank you very much whoever you are
just to make sure:
http://www.petitiononline.com/dblam444/petition.html
http://db-lam-protest.forumotion.com
everybody who’s against this movie are SO WELCOME!
And just to repeat once more
I can’t possibly consider anyone as a DB fan at all, if he is not boycotting this piece of exploitation, I think this is something that’s clear as day, so I don’t know why I said this again, but hey, it does not harm
anime just be anime. it doesn’t fit to be live action. so dragon ball only for manga and anime. i just want akira toriyama continue the dragon ball story.
everyone loves dragon ball. if a lot people watch this movie. it is not because the movie ios good. but because of the name is “dragon ball”.
It seems we have an internet civil war going on here. I’m actually looking foward to this. Say whatever you want about me I don’t care. It’s not just became I’m a DragonBall(Z,Gt)fan. Ever since I was about 7 years old I’ve loved it. It seems since Gt ended it hasn’t been on television as often as it used to.It was always 10:30 pm Don’t you moviehaters realize you could be dragging it’s future through the mud by boycotting or petitioning it. If the movie succeeds it could come back to TV and we could get tons of it(TV shows,movies,video games etc.)Think about what would happen to our beloved Dragonball(Z,GT)if the movie got ruined by angry fans.
Those calling themselves ‘Dragonball fans’ and support this movie should question themselves if they’re real Dragonball fans. I really can’t imagine a Dragonball fan so naive in thinking that this movie can actually bring good to Dragonball. Anyone familiar with Japan’s anime industry should know very well no new Dragonball anime will be made and the games will keep on coming out even if the movie’s not made. This movie will only torment those who know Dragonball and mislead those who don’t, or in other words it will do Dragonball only harm and no good. Those that are supporting instead of boycotting this movie will be those who would ruin the Dragonball series.
…Probably gonna end up just as bad as BloodRayne did…..’S what happens when you rush things like this.
You know what Priverson shut up. You don’t know what’s going to happen .
guys, i love DB , i have seen it since i was a kid….. and in my opinion, they should make the live movie, it would be great … but only if they do it in the correct way —– they have a guy that isnt even 5% of what goku was, not even giving him diana bol lol……… vegeta is taller than him…picolo is a guy who wants to play the gangsta… but, but, but ……. efects are gonna be great,and hopefully, they will bring back the spirit that we all had with us when we watched the serie…. so we should give it a chance, cause it doesnt matter what happens - we’ll all keep the original DB in us……… peace…
Thank you big fan 008. peace back at ya
Some people are already ordering others with different opinions to shut up already when they themselves have not a single idea how’s it going to end