Honestly, your ideas for OG Dragon Ball sound perfect to me. Having the RRA be antagonists searching for the Dragon Balls in the first movie and only having one version of Piccolo are realistic and understandable changes for a movie adaptation. And even the second movie becoming a sort of The Karate Kid tournament film with Tenshinhan (replacing or combining with the first tournament that had Giran and Nam) sounds exactly like something I'd love to see in theaters. Really, good concepts, man.OmegaRockman wrote: Wed Sep 27, 2023 5:06 pmI agree with doing the 7 for 7 Dragon Balls thing with an extra movie for the Freeza Arc. Saiyan-Freeza as a trilogy would be a fantastic way to kick off the franchise. I also think you could do a DB trilogy to start off with before doing the initial Z trilogy, though doing it as a Netflix show is also a solid idea.mecha3000 wrote: Fri Sep 08, 2023 6:06 pm This has to be the most active this forum has been discussing the possibilities for live-action Dragon Ball. Thank you, Netflix (and Oda)!!! In any case, I'm just glad I'm not hitting a brick wall on here talking about live-action DB anymore. Honestly, I'm going to get flak for this, but I think the second half of Dragon Ball (Z) should be prioritized over the first, when a live-action project inevitably happens. Let's be honest with ourselves, Z is still the most iconic anime series in Dragon Ball, which means it has the greatest chance for success.
Also, despite coming out almost 15 years ago, Evolution tried adapting early DB already. I think early DB should be adapted as a Netflix series while Z gets the theatrical treatment. Ideally, both should release simultaneously or around the same time. I know how everyone on this forum is regarding the importance of early DB and I agree, but I guarantee a live-action trailer showing Goku and Piccolo fighting the Saiyans will generate more interest than a movie trailer about Goku and Bulma searching for the Dragon Balls together.
I also think the Z portion should get six movies:
1. Dragon Ball: Z - First movie briefly recaps Dragon Ball and Bardock, similarly to Kai episode 1. Extended sequence showing how Goku met Bulma and the context of what the Dragon Balls are. Toriyama manga-inspired motion panels showing Goku's adventures up until Goku vs. Piccolo Jr, shown in live-action. Goku wins, gets married and we move ahead five years (where Goku is a radish farmer missing the old days). Goku and Gohan's bond is expanded slightly, making their separation and reunion more meaningful. Gohan introduced/kidnapped at Kame House. Radtiz fight is covered mostly the same. Goku and Radtiz die. Piccolo takes and trains Gohan, forming a bond together. Krillin (a cop now) and Bulma round up Yamcha (baseball player) and Tenshinhan (on a training journey) out of retirement to train with Kami. Bulma and Roshi look for the Dragon Balls as an odd duo, giving us a Hunt for the Dragon Balls Arc in this movie. Goku finds and trains with King Kai/Kaio and is wished back. Yamcha, Tenshin, and Chaozu die and Goku returns, fighting Nappa and Vegeta. Movie ends with a bittersweet victory and Gohan, Bulma, Krillin, AND Goku (who leaves with them in this version to avoid overusing the Goku Time trope) leave for Namek. Freeza is shown in mid-credits scene.
2. Dragon Ball: Battle of Namek - Adapts Freeza Arc with some changes. This might be controversial, but maybe here Gohan dies instead of Krillin to throw the fans off? Eh, maybe not. Ends with Goku seemingly dying, but Shenron reveals he's alive. Mid-credits teases Gero building the androids.
3. Dragon Ball: The Artificial Humans - Adapts everything up to the battle with 17 and 18. Maybe, in this version Cooler and King Cold accompany Freeza to Earth before Trunks kills them all (or maybe Goku returns in time to blast Cooler into the sun). And perhaps, Androids 13, 14, 15, 21 (being based on Gero's wife), and maybe 8 factor into the story somehow. Gero and 16's backstory as father and son explored. Mid-credits reveals Imperfect Cell in a lifeless city.
4. Dragon Ball: The Cell Games - Cell introduced, absorbs 17 and 18. Sets up Cell Games and Gohan defeats him as a SSJ2 as we all know.
5. Dragon Ball: The Majin Mark - Adapts everything up until Vegeta's sacrifice. Maybe in this version Babidi forces the Dragon Team/Z-Fighters into a battle royale with the ultimate goal of reviving Boo, which can replace the pointlessness of the Tenkaichi Budokai and offer greater stakes. Maybe Gohan fights Dabra in the tournament instead of at Babidi's ship (same with Goku vs. Yakon and Vegeta vs. Pui Pui).
6. Dragon Ball: Farewell - Adapts the rest of the Boo Arc with minor changes. Maybe Kakarot is changed to Kakarotto to make Vegetto make sense.
Maybe the Freeza Arc could get one more movie to bring the total to 7 for 7 Dragon Balls (Although, I don't think it needs it with Movie 1 already being Part 1 of the sequel, in a way). And everything in the manga should take priority over GT, Battle of Gods, Super, etc.
I was thinking movie/season 1 would be a hybrid of Path to Power and Legend of Shen Long, with the Red Ribbon Army wrecking the village instead of Gurumes's army. I'd also change Pansy to Chichi, with the village attacked being Gyumao's. I'd also have Pilaf and his gang be bumbling side villains who somehow use the chaos of the battle to summon Shen Long, only for Oolong to interrupt them with his wish at the end (dunno if I'd still go with panties, but that way we set up Pilaf to bring back Piccolo later on and still reference the original ending to the arc).
The second movie/season would take a lot from the 21st and 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai arcs and Mystical Adventure. In fact, I'd probably do an almost straight adaptation of Mystical Adventure but use the extra runtime to add Goku and Kuririn training and not have Chaozu be the little prince (not that it wasn't a great reimagining for the film, but because it wouldn't make much sense for him to always go on training journeys with Tenshinhan and eventually fight and die in the Saiyan Arc).
The final would be an adaptation of Piccolo Daimao. Basically we would do Evolution right, and I think we'd combine the Piccolos into one character. Either that or Piccolo Junior would be introduced with the Saiyan Arc adaptation.
It may feel a bit fast tracked for people who like the manga version of events, but I think this is a solid way to cover all of OG DB in a concise movie trilogy. The OG DB films really do provide an incredibly solid blueprint that we can work from. I'd also toy with the idea of casting a young actor for Goku who, depending on how long the production timeline takes, can grow up with the role and eventually continue to play him well into adulthood, but that wouldn't be possible if we went with your idea of doing DB as a series and Z as movies simultaneously. But it's a thought nonetheless.
Also, did anyone hear that Sean Schemmel supposedly hated live-action One Piece? I'm like, dude, shut up. The English voice of Goku ranting on a successful live-action anime adaptation is the kind of thing that could turn people away from One Piece and hurt the chances of live-action Dragon Ball.
