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Hit manga Dragonball to become live-action film

Last Updated: Wednesday, November 14, 2007 | 11:06 AM ET

CBC News

Dragonball, the massively successful Japanese manga, is set for a live-action, silver screen adaptation.

Hollywood studio Twentieth Century Fox has announced plans for a film based on Akira Toriyama's fantastical martial-arts action series.

Hong Kong filmmaker Stephen Chow, known for hilariously absurd martial-arts comedy hits like Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle, has been enlisted to produce the new film.

Set to direct is James Wong, a former writer and executive producer of TV's The X-Files as well as director of the movie thriller Final Destination.

Fox also announced the casting of two lead roles: Young Canadian actor Justin Chatwin will portray the heroic Son Goku, while his nemesis Piccolo will be played by James Marsters, best known for his turn as the vampire Spike in TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series, Angel.

The Nanaimo, B.C.-born Chatwin has previously appeared on several TV programs, including the U.S. cable series Weeds and the miniseries Taken. He portrayed the son of Tom Cruise's character in War of the Worlds, with other film roles including Taking Lives and The Invisible.

The film is set to begin shooting this year and is slated to hit theatres in August.

Created by Toriyama in 1984, Dragonball began as a manga — a Japanese genre of comics and cartoons — whose instalments centred on young martial artist Son Goku as he built up his strength and searched for mystical artifacts known as Dragon balls.

Later, as the series progressed, the stories incorporated more technological and science fiction elements, including recasting Son Goku as a powerful alien protecting Earth.

The original manga has spawned graphic novels, video games, an animated television series that airs worldwide and accompanying merchandise and toys.

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