Will anyone try to bring Astro Boy to America again?

[sdp]

The 2003 show was brought and a lot of money was put on it, they were banking it would be a huge success. We know Sony pressured for the show to be more action oriented so it'd appeal to american kids more. KidsWB also banked on the success ordering every episode dubbed. We all know the show failed in every way possible.

Now less than a year ago we got a new take on Astro Boy for western audiences as a movie. Astro was westernized quite a bit, IMO maybe a bit too much though it still worked. The movie however like the past revival also bombed.

Will any american company try to bring Astro Boy back to the US? I'm sure in the least it'd maybe get a release from some company but not market it anymore to a mainstream audience like the past two revivals with toylines and a lot of money, just a cheap DVD dub(or whatever format we have) release. Or will they try again like the past two?

Of course we have nothing to worry about for quite a while, I don't think we'll see a new Astro Boy anime anytime soon. Possibly the 2020s at the earliest (each Astro anime has had around 20 years difference). But yeah I even remember in the 2003 show dvd they mention didn't want to at first since they had already done it so they changed a lot to make it different.

[Nora]

Someones always trying to bring Astro Boy to America. I think its just a matter of time again. 1960s then 80s then 03 now 09.

[Alittleacorn]

Nora's right, with the recent film there's a high chance something else could pop up. In anime form it could be 2020 like Nora said since they have come out every 20 years, but again never know with this movie someone might do an anime sooner. =) And remember Astro boy's a Japanese Mickey mouse, no way is he dying.

=_=; just depends on how much those mean America producers censor and cut up Astro boy in an animes/films. they practically chopped down the 2003 anime by putting a bunch of pressure on the producers.

I understand it's to protect little kids from violences and upsetting scenes, but life's not made up of happy candy all the time they need to learn that sooner or later so why can't they learn it at a young age? @_@ if only they'd keep it true to what Astro boy is.

[Laughing Dragon]

That's a good question. If Astro is brought to the big screen /small screen again, you can bet it'll be in CGI. And that's not a bad thing, if it's done as well as in the movie. Speaking of the movie, it's a real crowd-pleaser. I've mentioned that I lurk at Twitter, and the reaction to the movie from people the world over is very positive. I think it's on track for eventual profitability, and will likely become a cult classic.

But I think Astro himself is somewhat problematic. Basically he's an androgynous little child robot running around in his underwear, and some people find that funny/weird. When he was created, and when he became a TV sensation in the 1960's, the world was a very different place. Innocence wasn't something people mocked, but valued. That's not the case now, and it's too bad.

[Fauna]

The movie may not have done well financially, but it got lots of positive feedback. I know Nora mentioned they were planning a sequel or a TV series, and I figure it can work if it rides off the love of the cult audience.

As for the TV series...in the 2020s, animation will probably have advanced enough to outdate the 2003 series, so one would probably be possible. (See the pattern of 1963, 1980, 2003...by that means, it would be 2020 when it came out.)
@Laughing Dragon: He could walk around with clothes until a battle starts, like in the 1980's series.

What I wish more studios did is come directly to Blue Water Studios, a Canadian dubbing studio, and have them dub their latest property. Toei Animation does this all the time; they brought Pretty Cure to Blue Water, and while they localized the names and music (at Toei's suggestion), all deaths and on-screen kanji were left undisturbed. Plus, Pretty Cure's been on YTV longer than Astro Boy 2003 was.

[dannavy85]

I think in the future, bringing him back would go alone the lines of the new Pluto manga that's out in bookstores here now. Some one will do a totally different spin on the classic character, take the orriginal story in a different direction and make a live action out of it. I'm hoping someone takes us the Pluto series as an attractive network or cable show offer.

I'd like to see Atom just plunked down in the middle of some small town someplace, perhaps hiding from a Doctor Tenma who wants to use him as some sort of weapon or even take up the Captain Atom/Ambassador Atom story and run with that.

[Hikari Tail]

While the movie did bad even in Japan, the 2003 series was not a total failure in its own country it received also positive feedback even in non-Japanese countries the show did missed its chance not airing in some European countries as well as being only airing briefly in BBC.

But like everyone says Astroboy gets redone ever 20 or 25 years, a lot of remakes of series novels and comic books failed the past 10 years probably because the audience might be a bit fed up with remakes and lack of original content. I don't think the movie got enough attention either in Holland there is barely anything to let the children know its on theaters there is no movie poster, no advertisement no magezines about it.I think that could be one of the lead why the movie is doing poorly in some other countries like mine,

also i like to mention the Dutch dubbing was terrible and in some scenes the characters opened their mouths but no sound came out

[jeffbert]

But I think Astro himself is somewhat problematic. Basically he's an androgynous little child robot running around in his underwear, and some people find that funny/weird. When he was created, and when he became a TV sensation in the 1960's, the world was a very different place. Innocence wasn't something people mocked, but valued. That's not the case now, and it's too bad.

At younger ages every generation, kids hate being kids. In this age of sexual predators, cute is not as important as clothed. I recall an episode of Family Guy, in which Lois parodied the Coppertone Girl, with her buns prominently exposed. But if you look at the current bottles of Coppertone, you see nothing of the sort; though the dog has grabbed her bathing suit, there is no exposure at all. I feel weird about writing that.

=_=; just depends on how much those mean America producers censor and cut up Astro boy in an animes/films. they practically chopped down the 2003 anime by putting a bunch of pressure on the producers.

I understand it's to protect little kids from violences and upsetting scenes, but life's not made up of happy candy all the time they need to learn that sooner or later so why can't they learn it at a young age? @_@ if only they'd keep it true to what Astro boy is.

I think that Eastern cultures viewed death very differently than Western ones. Moreover, in Japan, where war brought deaths by the tens of thousands, they obviously feel different about teaching their kids about it. Memory Day featured the Bon Festival, in which they honored their deceased relatives. Atom was to represent one such boy, but the dub altered the plot so that the boy was merely supposed as being on another planet.

I do not believe that Americans will embrace the idea of teaching kids about death anytime soon. I think it is more to do with the desire to avoid the children's reaction to the fact, than anything else. On one of the Scary Movie's, an inept President tried to do so. I think the kids' reactions were very realistic. Sealab 2021 also had Dr. Quinn trying to do so, but the other guy who was telling them that everybody lives forever won their support.

[Nora]

Wait...if 2012 happens...we're screwed!!! (Doesn't believe in 2012)

[ebronstein]

Personally, If they ever try and do another movie with him, I hope they learn from the last one. Sorry to differ, but I think the recent movie failed (beyond the obvious reasons of limited advertising) because IMAGI was just way to cautious, and changed everything about him that made him great, while trying to make him look like something out of pixar.