Funimation comments on Battle of Gods' status

[Lance Freeman]

Well, kind of figured that would happen. Why do I get the feeling that Fox's involvement is largely a rights retention thing?

Like I've said on another forum, I don't want Fox anywhere near this movie! Why did Toei have to partner with them anyway? Just so it could be in theatres?

Ehh, Fox offers to fund part of the movie, maybe it counts as them using their DBZ movie rights to make a new movie, and maybe they don't have to worry about losing the movie rights for another few years.

[Avenged]

Well, kind of figured that would happen. Why do I get the feeling that Fox's involvement is largely a rights retention thing?

Like I've said on another forum, I don't want Fox anywhere near this movie! Why did Toei have to partner with them anyway? Just so it could be in theatres?

Toei partnered with them due to Dragonball Evolution.

[Hellspawn28]

Well, kind of figured that would happen. Why do I get the feeling that Fox's involvement is largely a rights retention thing?

Just so it could be in theatres?

That seems like the answer. I also guess is that Fox wants to hold on the Dragon Ball license for a bit long similar why Sony release Godzilla 2000 in theaters in the US so that they can hold on to the franchise a bit longer before their rights expire.

[Jord]

Pfft, two years. Some people waited 24 years for a proper dub of Dragon Ball Movie One.

Not to fussed about the two year wait to be honest. It's long for me to justify purchasing the Japanese DVD...hopefully the special edition. I really can't bring myself to blow $70 for a Blu-Ray that I can't play.

A lot of Japanese anime Blu-Rays tend to be region free from my understanding. I live in Australia and own both the Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu Blu-Ray Complete Box and all 15 Pocket Monsters feature films on Japanese Blu-Ray and they all play fine on my Region B Blu-Ray player.

Does anyone know Fox's track record when it comes to importing and translating foreign movies, particularly anime?

I'm not sure about foreign films in general, but in terms of anime there's uh... Digimon: The Movie? Which considering that it's three movies made into one probably isn't the best example of being able to do a good job on this.

tadd off-topic: Are those Pocket Monster films any good on Blu Ray as in video quality/extras and stuff? A Japanese PM movie 1 on Bluray sounds interesting.

[dbboxkaifan]

tadd off-topic: Are those Pocket Monster films any good on Blu Ray as in video quality/extras and stuff? A Japanese PM movie 1 on Bluray sounds interesting.

The only Pokémon films on Blu-ray are:
Pokémon: 4Ever (4)
Pokémon: Heroes (5)
Pokémon: Jirachi Wish Maker (6)
Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys (7)

All four just have English dub, no Japanese audio and no English subs.

http://www.amazon.com/Pokemon-Collectio ... on+blu+ray

I'm waiting for the day that Pokémon the first film is released on Blu-ray with English dub and hopefully also with Japanese audio and English subs.

[Lance Freeman]

tadd off-topic: Are those Pocket Monster films any good on Blu Ray as in video quality/extras and stuff? A Japanese PM movie 1 on Bluray sounds interesting.

The only Pokémon films on Blu-ray are:
Pokémon: 4Ever (4)
Pokémon: Heroes (5)
Pokémon: Jirachi Wish Maker (6)
Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys (7)

All four just have English dub, no Japanese audio and no English subs.

http://www.amazon.com/Pokemon-Collectio ... on+blu+ray

I'm waiting for the day that Pokémon the first film is released on Blu-ray with English dub and hopefully also with Japanese audio and English subs.

Would The Pokemon Company have the rights to the 4Kids dub?

Back on topic: We just have to wait and see what, if anything, Fox does. It could be good, it could be a disaster, or they could just spend the money to get the people who know what they're doing to do it. After all, it feels like that's what they did with the movie in the first place.

[sailorspazz]

You're forgetting that's a JSAT Special while Battle of Gods is a film. They never gave me that impression.

I realize that the cases are different, and I wouldn't expect them to do free worldwide streaming of a movie, but it does show us the possibility that they could do something other than waiting 2 whole years before releasing the movie internationally. We're living in the future now, man, they can do better than that! A paid subtitled streaming wouldn't be out of the question if they don't want to do full theatrical releases in other countries, for example.

I'm just hoping the Funi rep was being very pessimistic when she threw out that number, like she didn't want to get everyone's hopes up but actually expects it will come out much sooner than that. I hope that whatever offers/refusals need to happen are already going on behind the scenes.

I can also see Funimation jerking us around and getting our hopes up before announcing the movie. "You've been waiting for it, and we've finally got it! We've finally licensed...the JSAT special! Coming soon to DVD!" or, "the continuation of the story you've been dying to see...the Majin Boo saga of Dragon Ball Z Kai! Airing this fall on Nicktoons!" Those bastards...(she said, insulting a company over a hypothetical situation).

[Hellspawn28]

http://www.amazon.com/Pokemon-Collectio ... on+blu+ray

I'm waiting for the day that Pokémon the first film is released on Blu-ray with English dub and hopefully also with Japanese audio and English subs.

Those Blu-Rays are from Echo Bridge who has been known to release dull releases expect for their DVD release of The Satanic Rites of Dracula and Scars of Dracula which is out of print.

I'm not sure about foreign films in general, but in terms of anime there's uh... Digimon: The Movie? Which considering that it's three movies made into one probably isn't the best example of being able to do a good job on this.

I'm pretty sure it was Saban did the whole put three movies into one film. Unlike the Pokemon movies, I remember they were barely a hour long. Also Fox has release foreign movies before. They mostly released them under Fox Searchlight Pictures. I think Digimon: The Movie is the only anime that 20th Century Fox ever released.

[SaiyamanMS]

The only Pokémon films on Blu-ray are:
Pokémon: 4Ever (4)
Pokémon: Heroes (5)
Pokémon: Jirachi Wish Maker (6)
Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys (7)

All four just have English dub, no Japanese audio and no English subs.

http://www.amazon.com/Pokemon-Collectio ... on+blu+ray

I'm waiting for the day that Pokémon the first film is released on Blu-ray with English dub and hopefully also with Japanese audio and English subs.

Actually, all fifteen films have been released on Blu-Ray in Japan, and the English versions of 12-15 have been released in Australia.

tadd off-topic: Are those Pocket Monster films any good on Blu Ray as in video quality/extras and stuff? A Japanese PM movie 1 on Bluray sounds interesting.

The picture quality of the films is absolutely stunning, the pre-BW films however were only released on Blu-Ray last year as part of the "Pikachu the Movie Premium Box: 1998-2010" and are completely bare bones in terms of extras. A full review of the set can be found here on Dogasu's Backpack.

... Anyway, uh... yeah. How about that Battle of Gods dub?

[Mewzard]

In the case of the new Jojo's Bizarre Adventure anime, there's been absolutely no domestic release announced yet for the US. So, if you'd want to see the anime, you'd have to watch a fansub. Or read the scanlations. Yeah, it's not legal, but hey... it's the only translated version available.

Actually, the Japanese dvd/bluray released by Warner Home Video (Japan) has English subtitles.

To be fair, getting the Blu Rays that you could play on your own Blu Ray player will cost a fortune. There's like 9 of them for a 26 episode series >_> You're looking at over $700 pre-shipping from Japan. Meanwhile, I bought the first 7 seasons of Power Rangers on DVD for $200 (338 episodes plus 3 discs of special features, and even a little Red Ranger figure wearing the Green Ranger's shield). Also, I've heard the subs on the JJBA sets are subpar, so not the best incentive. I keep hoping for a legal release of it in the US so I can buy it (or Crunchyroll subs, or something).

I certainly hope Funimation (Not...Fox...) gets the movie so we can watch an awesome dub of it and English sub in the near future.

[Daimo-Rukiri]

The thing is does Fox actually have to use Funimation's Va's? That's what worries me the most...
I'm personally just going to import it on Blu-ray, and to the Pokemon JP bluray's they looked amazing!

I've already seen the movie but the quality wasn't that great(what did you expect from a camcorder?), the movie itself was awesome! The ending suggests either a new saga or exploration to the other said universes <- now that would be cool!

[Ketchup_Revenge]

The thing is does Fox actually have to use Funimation's Va's? That's what worries me the most...

Fox can use whoever the hell they want. They technically are partial owners of this movie, Funimation is not. Funi only has the rights to use the movie to make money.

Imagine Willem Defoe voicing Vegeta. That would be a sight...

[Fennekin]

The thing is does Fox actually have to use Funimation's Va's? That's what worries me the most...

Fox can use whoever the hell they want. They technically are partial owners of this movie, Funimation is not. Funi only has the rights to use the movie to make money.

Imagine Willem Defoe voicing Vegeta. That would be a sight...

They better not do that. FUNimation should have sole ownership to dubbing it. FOX would just ruin it.

[B]

They better not do that. FUNimation should have sole ownership to dubbing it. FOX would just ruin it.

Why? How?

[DragonBalllKaiHD]

Look at the fanbase. If Fox doesn't use the Funi cast, then Fox will be in a mess. It will practically ruin their enjoyment because that's the cast they are accustomed to. If they don't use them, it's a very bad business. Having seen Kai, you can bet that the fans will totally want Funi to dub the movie. And I hope they do, because if they use otherwise, I sure ain't going to give it a chance.

[VegettoEX]

"It's a totally different cast! I'll never watch this!"

Welcome to 1999, I guess? See how that worked out...?

[JulieYBM]

The movie isn't going to do bad if Fox used a different dub cast. The general audience would pay the voice cast no mind.

EDIT: Ninja'd by Mike.

[Kaboom]

I won't pretend to know how the business works, but wouldn't bringing in the pre-existing FUNimation cast be not only more fan-friendly, but also cheaper than hiring big-name celebrity VAs or something? If that's the case, wouldn't it be pretty much win-win for both Fox and expectant fans?

[Gyt Kaliba]

To be fair, while the cast replacing really won't break "true fans" (though I HATE to use that term) from seeing the movie as it has happened before - wouldn't it be fair to say that it'd be a worse/bigger situation if they did that this time? Ocean's cast was only used for two prior seasons for, what, a couple of years? Whereas FUNi's in-house cast has been used in everything in English for over 10 years now. Just seems like they'd have a larger group of fans to be disappointed by a cast change than the Ocean crew did.

I won't pretend to know how the business works, but wouldn't bringing in the pre-existing FUNimation cast be not only more fan-friendly, but also cheaper than hiring big-name celebrity VAs or something? If that's the case, wouldn't it be pretty much win-win for both Fox and expectant fans?

You would think that would cross their minds, yeah. Especially the 'cheaper' route. The problem may come from if they think they'd make 'more money' from hiring celebrities, thinking that the casual movie-goer would buy into it then. 'Oh wow, Dragon Ball Z, I watched that as a kid. And look, they got Johnny Depp in this one!'

[VegettoEX]

Well of course they'd likely go with the existing cash to garner good will and be cheap.

But even if they didn't, so what?