"Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

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Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

Post by Kid Buu » Wed Jun 09, 2021 7:01 pm

Well Pikachu had a big Hollywood film so I could see Goku getting one. Although DB isnt as big as Pokemon so maybe it wouldn't receive as much investment.
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Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

Post by Hellspawn28 » Wed Jun 09, 2021 10:54 pm

The reason why we probably haven't seen anyone make a live action DB movie again is because DBE was a total train wreck. No one wants to touch the IP again.
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Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

Post by MyVisionity » Wed Jun 09, 2021 11:20 pm

I doubt Evolution is holding anyone back. It's been over ten years and the movie didn't get much attention in the first place. Live action anime just isn't a thing right now.

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Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

Post by JulieYBM » Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:23 am

MyVisionity wrote: Wed Jun 09, 2021 11:20 pm I doubt Evolution is holding anyone back. It's been over ten years and the movie didn't get much attention in the first place. Live action anime just isn't a thing right now.
Dozens of live action adaptions of manga and anime have been made in Japan in the last ten years.

Hollywood is not the end-all-be-all, y'all!
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Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

Post by Kid Buu » Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:31 am

JulieYBM wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:23 am
MyVisionity wrote: Wed Jun 09, 2021 11:20 pm I doubt Evolution is holding anyone back. It's been over ten years and the movie didn't get much attention in the first place. Live action anime just isn't a thing right now.
Dozens of live action adaptions of manga and anime have been made in Japan in the last ten years.

Hollywood is not the end-all-be-all, y'all!
Yup quite a lot too.
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Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

Post by Kunzait_83 » Thu Jun 10, 2021 2:17 am

JulieYBM wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:23 amDozens of live action adaptions of manga and anime have been made in Japan in the last ten years.

Hollywood is not the end-all-be-all, y'all!
And if you go back further than just the last ten years, you'll find plenty of live action anime and manga adaptations (both from Japan and even a few here or there made in the West) that are actually pretty damn great. Movies like Lady Snowblood, Lone Wolf and Cub, Female Prisoner Scorpion 701 (which I mentioned in the thread about Kikuchi's passing), and so on are not simply live action manga adaptations, they're also undisputed stone cold legit cinematic classics. Like actual great films with respected pedigree among actual serious filmmakers, not just great adaptations of manga.

However, recognizing and understanding that such movies exist within the realm of live action anime/manga adaptations would require people here needing to leave the comfort zone of A) children's movies, B) super recent movies, and C) Hollywood tentpole summer blockbuster movies.

Heaven forbid, I know.
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Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

Post by MyVisionity » Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:44 am

Live action anime and manga isn't a thing in Hollywood right now, to be more specific, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I'm not sure that it even ever should.

Although I could possibly see live action series made in the television format. Dragon Ball on Netflix. Yu Yu Hakusho on the CW. Hokuto no Ken on HBO Max. Who knows...

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Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

Post by ABED » Thu Jun 10, 2021 5:12 am

MyVisionity wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:44 am Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"Quote MyVisionity
by MyVisionity » Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:44 am

Live action anime and manga isn't a thing in Hollywood right now, to be more specific, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I'm not sure that it even ever should.
Netflix is doing a live action Yu Yu Hakusho.
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Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

Post by MyVisionity » Thu Jun 10, 2021 6:17 am

Oh wow, did not know that.

However it sounds like that's going to be a Japanese series and not an American one, so it's not quite what I was getting at.

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Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

Post by JulieYBM » Thu Jun 10, 2021 8:35 am

Yeah, but why are we looking to Hollywood for these adaptions when if anything that would only mean lower quality?
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Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

Post by Robo4900 » Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:01 am

If Zack Snyder directed a live action Dragon Ball movie, I think that's the only way they could possibly top Evolution as the single worst Dragon Ball product to ever be shat onto our laps.

That's not to say that Snyder is necessarily a bad director; he's got a great eye for cinematography, he works well with actors, and he's great at action, but you have to apply him correctly. He was wrong for Watchmen because he didn't get it and played it too straight, he's wrong for Superman because he doesn't get it and plays Superman as a mopey Jesus wannabe who murders people, and he would be wrong for Dragon Ball because Dragon Ball is supposed to be a light, fun martial arts adventure for children.

If it had to be a mainstream western director, get Taika Waititi or Edgar Wright if you can manage it, but really if a live action Dragon Ball movie got made (not Z. If they skip to Z, as far as I'm concerned that's a clear indication that it will be a shat-out cash-in), they should get someone with a track record for martial arts films to capture the wuxia style of the original series.

I still stand by my long-held view that a good live-action Dragon Ball movie is possible and could be a mainstream hit while being a legitimately good adaptation of the original manga (with many liberties taken to make it fit cinematic form; think Path To Power). The reason Evolution didn't work is because no one involved in it on the writing, directing, or producing side actually knew or cared what Dragon Ball was, and they just wanted to use its recognisable name on some cookie-cutter churned-out blockbuster to try to get a franchise going while they had some extra cash lying around from X-Men.
I think in a world where Marvel and Harry Potter have succeeded, though, studio execs would probably be more open to the idea of a more legitimate Dragon Ball movie that has the full weirdness of the original, and has the capacity to run as long as Harry Potter did, and similarly follow the main characters growing and changing over the years it covers. Especially since Disney owns Fox now. Maybe they'd even consult with Kevin Feige of Marvel. Certainly that's what they seem to be doing with Star Wars now.
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Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

Post by Dragon Ball Ireland » Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:28 am

Zack Snyder definitely wouldn't be a good candidate for a live action Dragon Ball movie, unless it was something like the Bardock or Trunks specials, which most studio execs wouldn't be willing to take a chance on because of their dark and sombre nature, and would need to be extended to fill the runtime.
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Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

Post by JulieYBM » Thu Jun 10, 2021 11:39 am

Dragon Ball Ireland wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:28 am Zack Snyder definitely wouldn't be a good candidate for a live action Dragon Ball movie, unless it was something like the Bardock or Trunks specials, which most studio execs wouldn't be willing to take a chance on because of their dark and sombre nature, and would need to be extended to fill the runtime.
I'm going to have to disagree with that. Snyder would suck all the emotion out of them because even his so-called 'dark' works have zero heart to them. Snyder is a director who lacks an understanding on how to apply emotion to his work. He seems very closed-off and fake in his interviews and I've seen how that translates into his work.
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Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

Post by Kid Buu » Thu Jun 10, 2021 11:51 am

ABED wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 5:12 am
MyVisionity wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:44 am Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"Quote MyVisionity
by MyVisionity » Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:44 am

Live action anime and manga isn't a thing in Hollywood right now, to be more specific, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I'm not sure that it even ever should.
Netflix is doing a live action Yu Yu Hakusho.
And wasnt there a Ghost in the Shell recently?
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Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

Post by MasenkoHA » Thu Jun 10, 2021 12:23 pm

Dragon Ball Ireland wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:28 am Zack Snyder definitely wouldn't be a good candidate for a live action Dragon Ball movie, unless it was something like the Bardock or Trunks specials, which most studio execs wouldn't be willing to take a chance on because of their dark and sombre nature, and would need to be extended to fill the runtime.
They were tv specials made for elementary school boys. They’re not too dark or sombre for movie studios.


Zack Synder wouldn’t be a good candidate because he really just isn’t a good director.

Robo4900 wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:01 am

I still stand by my long-held view that a good live-action Dragon Ball movie is possible and could be a mainstream hit while being a legitimately good adaptation of the original manga (with many liberties taken to make it fit cinematic form; think Path To Power).

While I agreed 100 percent with everything you said, I’m singling this out because I always felt Path to Power would be an excellent template for a live action Dragon Ball movie just expand it to two hours and maybe make a few changes (I’d drop Hachan completely and put Kuririn in the movie as a student of Roshi when Goku and the gang meet Roshi for the first time, develop Goku and Kuririn’s friendship, have Kuririn be the one to die and then wished back by Shenlong and end the movie with Goku and Kuririn training under Kame Sennin in preparation for the Tenkaichi Tournament)

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Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

Post by Jackalope89 » Thu Jun 10, 2021 12:43 pm

Kid Buu wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 11:51 am
ABED wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 5:12 am
MyVisionity wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:44 am Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"Quote MyVisionity
by MyVisionity » Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:44 am

Live action anime and manga isn't a thing in Hollywood right now, to be more specific, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I'm not sure that it even ever should.
Netflix is doing a live action Yu Yu Hakusho.
And wasnt there a Ghost in the Shell recently?
Well, a few years ago, but yes.

As for Snyder; No. He couldn't do Superman right, and he would butcher Goku just as bad. As terrible and awful as DBE was, it at least had colors that popped. Snyder just puts everything under one color filter or another.

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Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

Post by WittyUsername » Thu Jun 10, 2021 12:47 pm

JulieYBM wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 11:39 am
Dragon Ball Ireland wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:28 am Zack Snyder definitely wouldn't be a good candidate for a live action Dragon Ball movie, unless it was something like the Bardock or Trunks specials, which most studio execs wouldn't be willing to take a chance on because of their dark and sombre nature, and would need to be extended to fill the runtime.
I'm going to have to disagree with that. Snyder would suck all the emotion out of them because even his so-called 'dark' works have zero heart to them. Snyder is a director who lacks an understanding on how to apply emotion to his work. He seems very closed-off and fake in his interviews and I've seen how that translates into his work.
I’m not sure what you mean by “closed-off.” He clearly has a sense of humor and people seem to enjoy working with him. I’d also argue that his version of JL ironically has more heart to it than the theatrical version. He still wouldn’t be a good choice for a Dragon Ball movie, though.

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Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

Post by jjgp1112 » Thu Jun 10, 2021 2:32 pm

MasenkoHA wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 12:23 pm

While I agreed 100 percent with everything you said, I’m singling this out because I always felt Path to Power would be an excellent template for a live action Dragon Ball movie just expand it to two hours and maybe make a few changes (I’d drop Hachan completely and put Kuririn in the movie as a student of Roshi when Goku and the gang meet Roshi for the first time, develop Goku and Kuririn’s friendship, have Kuririn be the one to die and then wished back by Shenlong and end the movie with Goku and Kuririn training under Kame Sennin in preparation for the Tenkaichi Tournament)
My approach would be similar but I wouldn't have anybody die in the first movie. Instead, Krillin and Roshi die in the Piccolo movie so their deaths hold a little more weight since we don't already see the "character gets wished back/brought back to life" trope play out previously. In the second movie I'd have the Tournament get crashed right before Goku and Krillin are gonna fight, with them finding him dead during an intermission and that's how everything kicks off.

The way I'd do it, I'd probably drop Puar entirely and instead make Oolong Yamcha's partner, while Krillin would sort of have Oolong's role in Path to Power wherein he's a guy Goku & Bulma run into who tries to steal their shit, only he's trying to find a way to Master Roshi so he can train under him.

Other random musing's I've always had:

Commander Red would be a composite of Pilaf and canon Red, with some of Pilaf's slapstick antics
Launch would have an entirely new character as she would play the Mai role as Red's secretary alongside Officer Black and she sneezes into her good self at the right time to help the heroes out
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Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

Post by Kid Buu » Thu Jun 10, 2021 4:33 pm

I think Path to Power adaption would work. Couldnt really imagine something like the Saiyan arc working unless they make it episodic like films, something I'm not really a fan of.
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Re: "Live Action Dragon Ball Z Movie"

Post by Lord Exor » Thu Jun 10, 2021 5:08 pm

Kunzait_83 wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 2:17 am
JulieYBM wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:23 amDozens of live action adaptions of manga and anime have been made in Japan in the last ten years.

Hollywood is not the end-all-be-all, y'all!
And if you go back further than just the last ten years, you'll find plenty of live action anime and manga adaptations (both from Japan and even a few here or there made in the West) that are actually pretty damn great. Movies like Lady Snowblood, Lone Wolf and Cub, Female Prisoner Scorpion 701 (which I mentioned in the thread about Kikuchi's passing), and so on are not simply live action manga adaptations, they're also undisputed stone cold legit cinematic classics. Like actual great films with respected pedigree among actual serious filmmakers, not just great adaptations of manga.

However, recognizing and understanding that such movies exist within the realm of live action anime/manga adaptations would require people here needing to leave the comfort zone of A) children's movies, B) super recent movies, and C) Hollywood tentpole summer blockbuster movies.

Heaven forbid, I know.
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