If another US Live Action Movie was made, would you want a remake, or a reboot?

[jjgp1112]

It wasn't changes to the original plot and characterization that killed Evolution, it was poor writing and directing. Goku and Chichi being high school lovers wasn't the problem.

Had the production not been rushed and the people involved stepped up their efforts, Evolution could have been successful.

If any kind of live action Dragon Ball were to be made, it would probably work better as a television series on a streaming platform. There would be less pressure to make it into a family-friendly product, as well as more freedom to do weirder and less conventional things with the material.

Was it really unsuccessful? Evolution barely missed making twice its budget back at cinemas, and grossed another $8 million on home video.

It was a total flop domestically and primarily got a boost from curious Asian countries.

And then Resurrection F poured more salt in the wound by making 1 million short of its domestic gross on only a ten-day, limited release and a couple of weeks of promotion.

Not to mention, Fox hoped Evolution was going to launch a franchise. The horrible reception and bad domestic gross killed any foundation for such a thing, regardless of passable international returns. In that regard, it was a total failure.

[MyVisionity]

It wasn't changes to the original plot and characterization that killed Evolution, it was poor writing and directing. Goku and Chichi being high school lovers wasn't the problem.

Had the production not been rushed and the people involved stepped up their efforts, Evolution could have been successful.

If any kind of live action Dragon Ball were to be made, it would probably work better as a television series on a streaming platform. There would be less pressure to make it into a family-friendly product, as well as more freedom to do weirder and less conventional things with the material.

Was it really unsuccessful? Evolution barely missed making twice its budget back at cinemas, and grossed another $8 million on home video.

I mostly meant critically unsuccessful, not necessarily commercially unsuccessful. However, I had thought it was a box office bomb.

Either way, the point is that with a moderate amount of more effort put into the development and production, Evolution could have found enough success to get a sequel. Regardless of all of the changes to the source material.

[Kid Buu]

Those are some fair assassments. Every film is different but making double your budget is usually considered the minmum qualifcation as sucesss. That said might be differnt for a film that made most of its gross overseas.

I was definitely the only one in the thatre when I saw it.

Kind of surprised they were able to get popular JPOP star Ayumi Hamasaki to make a song for it.

[TheBlackPaladin]

Kind of surprised they were able to get popular JPOP star Ayumi Hamasaki to make a song for it.

I was surprised they bothered. Not saying she isn't talented, quite the opposite, but she always struck me as stylistically mismatched for a Dragon Ball movie, and I felt the same was true of her song for the film.

[WittyUsername]

DBE was definitely not a success. It didn’t even crack $10 million at the domestic box office. Fox seemed more than happy to just forget about it.

[Kid Buu]

Kind of surprised they were able to get popular JPOP star Ayumi Hamasaki to make a song for it.

I was surprised they bothered. Not saying she isn't talented, quite the opposite, but she always struck me as stylistically mismatched for a Dragon Ball movie, and I felt the same was true of her song for the film.

Yeah it kind of was a surprise that they got a big JPOP star for it. Though I heard even back then her career was kind of on decline.

[RurrlockGodOfPower]

I used to be very against the idea of another US Live Action movie based on Dragonball. I felt like it was a story that just wouldn't translate well into a film, but over the years, I've not only warmed up to the idea, but I feel that it has the potential to really be something great. If you get a cast and crew that really brings out the adventurous spirit of the story, and find the right balance between action and comedy, I think it can work really well.

For me, I think the way it could be structure is with the first film taking inspiration from the Pilaf and Red Ribbon Army Sagas (focusing a bit more on the latter), the second film could be about the World Martial Arts Tournament (focusing on Tien and the rivalry between the Turtle Hermit and Crane schools. A fantasy-epic version of Karate Kid), and the third film being about Piccolo. From there, it can have a film focused on each of the DBZ sagas, rounding the film series off nicely and fittingly to 7 films.

The way I see it, a film is going to happen at some point, whether in five or ten years. If it is, I have a feeling that the filmmakers may put more effort into getting this right so that they don't have another DBE situation.

So yeah, I would be cautiously optimistic for a live-action Dragonball film series. I even spent a weekend making a concept trailer to give a better idea of what a film could be like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aVfFMldEzQ

[WittyUsername]

I used to be very against the idea of another US Live Action movie based on Dragonball. I felt like it was a story that just wouldn't translate well into a film, but over the years, I've not only warmed up to the idea, but I feel that it has the potential to really be something great. If you get a cast and crew that really brings out the adventurous spirit of the story, and find the right balance between action and comedy, I think it can work really well.

For me, I think the way it could be structure is with the first film taking inspiration from the Pilaf and Red Ribbon Army Sagas (focusing a bit more on the latter), the second film could be about the World Martial Arts Tournament (focusing on Tien and the rivalry between the Turtle Hermit and Crane schools. A fantasy-epic version of Karate Kid), and the third film being about Piccolo. From there, it can have a film focused on each of the DBZ sagas, rounding the film series off nicely and fittingly to 7 films.

The way I see it, a film is going to happen at some point, whether in five or ten years. If it is, I have a feeling that the filmmakers may put more effort into getting this right so that they don't have another DBE situation.

So yeah, I would be cautiously optimistic for a live-action Dragonball film series. I even spent a weekend making a concept trailer to give a better idea of what a film could be like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aVfFMldEzQ

By that point, a show on Netflix or some other streaming service would be much more likely. At the very least, I don’t think movie theaters are going to survive for much longer.

[RurrlockGodOfPower]

I used to be very against the idea of another US Live Action movie based on Dragonball. I felt like it was a story that just wouldn't translate well into a film, but over the years, I've not only warmed up to the idea, but I feel that it has the potential to really be something great. If you get a cast and crew that really brings out the adventurous spirit of the story, and find the right balance between action and comedy, I think it can work really well.

For me, I think the way it could be structure is with the first film taking inspiration from the Pilaf and Red Ribbon Army Sagas (focusing a bit more on the latter), the second film could be about the World Martial Arts Tournament (focusing on Tien and the rivalry between the Turtle Hermit and Crane schools. A fantasy-epic version of Karate Kid), and the third film being about Piccolo. From there, it can have a film focused on each of the DBZ sagas, rounding the film series off nicely and fittingly to 7 films.

The way I see it, a film is going to happen at some point, whether in five or ten years. If it is, I have a feeling that the filmmakers may put more effort into getting this right so that they don't have another DBE situation.

So yeah, I would be cautiously optimistic for a live-action Dragonball film series. I even spent a weekend making a concept trailer to give a better idea of what a film could be like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aVfFMldEzQ

By that point, a show on Netflix or some other streaming service would be much more likely. At the very least, I don’t think movie theaters are going to survive for much longer.

That is a good point. As much as Dragonball would work well on the big screen, who knows what's going to happen to cinemas by that point? A show might actually work better telling the story so they won't have to rush anything or worry about cutting too much out. There would be more time to flesh out the world and characters and really grasp that sense of adventure.

[Zestanor]

I think OG DB should be off limits. This goes against what a lot of people say, but Americans don't "understand" DB like they do DBZ. In the sense that a large segment Americans of a certain generation have absorbed Funimation's Dragon Ball Z into their psyches or whatever. Whereas with OG DB, Evolution was kinda tolerated because Piccolo Daimao was much much less a childhood cultural phenomenon as "Frieza" and Cell. If they did a live action movie, they would have to pick a whole arc. And since the Saiyan Arc is the shortest, that would be the necessary choice.

[jjgp1112]

I think OG DB should be off limits. This goes against what a lot of people say, but Americans don't "understand" DB like they do DBZ. In the sense that a large segment Americans of a certain generation have absorbed Funimation's Dragon Ball Z into their psyches or whatever. Whereas with OG DB, Evolution was kinda tolerated because Piccolo Daimao was much much less a childhood cultural phenomenon as "Frieza" and Cell. If they did a live action movie, they would have to pick a whole arc. And since the Saiyan Arc is the shortest, that would be the necessary choice.

Evolution wasn't tolerated in even the mildest sense of the word.

[Kid Buu]

If another film does get made I hope Edgar Wright adapts it. He did an amazing job directing Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World.

[RurrlockGodOfPower]

If another film does get made I hope Edgar Wright adapts it. He did an amazing job directing Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World.

Edgar Wright would be an awesome choice. I also think Taika Waititi could do a good job. He strikes me as someone who would get the action and comedy. If I wanted to go a bit more out-there with a choice, I'd also consider S. S. Rajamouli. He's a director who's done a few Indian blockbusters and his films have an over-the-top fantastical action feel to them that I think would work well with Dragonball.

[Kid Buu]

I've seen What We Do in the Shadows? and The Hunter for Wildernerss and think Taika Waitit could do humour parts really well. Likewise Dragon Ball action done in Baahubali style could be fun too.

[UpFromTheSkies]

It would need to be redone from scratch and pretend Evolution never happened. Also half of the cast would need to be CG, or at least part CG for it to work IMO. If I were doing it I'd make kid Goku, Roshi, Chiaotzu, Oolong, Pilaf, and Shu full CG, Bulma, Mai, Tien, and Yamcha could be actors, Piccolo and Ox King would be a mix of CG and live actor.

[ArmenianPepsi]

Honestly I would not be totally opposed to the idea. All I would ask is for a crew / director who is well-versed in DB, actually cares about doing the source material proper justice, and wouldn't take the project just for a chance at a quick paycheck.

[jjgp1112]

It would need to be redone from scratch and pretend Evolution never happened. Also half of the cast would need to be CG, or at least part CG for it to work IMO. If I were doing it I'd make kid Goku, Roshi, Chiaotzu, Oolong, Pilaf, and Shu full CG, Bulma, Mai, Tien, and Yamcha could be actors, Piccolo and Ox King would be a mix of CG and live actor.

Negro, WHAT?!

[UpFromTheSkies]

It would need to be redone from scratch and pretend Evolution never happened. Also half of the cast would need to be CG, or at least part CG for it to work IMO. If I were doing it I'd make kid Goku, Roshi, Chiaotzu, Oolong, Pilaf, and Shu full CG, Bulma, Mai, Tien, and Yamcha could be actors, Piccolo and Ox King would be a mix of CG and live actor.

Negro, WHAT?!

I just don't feel like those characters would translate well to live action, so I'd make them CG. Dragon Ball has a very cartoonish quality to it, and making all of it live action just wouldn't feel like Dragon Ball to me.

[jjgp1112]

It would need to be redone from scratch and pretend Evolution never happened. Also half of the cast would need to be CG, or at least part CG for it to work IMO. If I were doing it I'd make kid Goku, Roshi, Chiaotzu, Oolong, Pilaf, and Shu full CG, Bulma, Mai, Tien, and Yamcha could be actors, Piccolo and Ox King would be a mix of CG and live actor.

Negro, WHAT?!

I just don't feel like those characters would translate well to live action, so I'd make them CG. Dragon Ball has a very cartoonish quality to it, and making all of it live action just wouldn't feel like Dragon Ball to me.

I could understand Pilaf, Shu, and MAYBE Chiaotzu...but there is absolutely no need to make Goku and Roshi CG. None whatsoever. At most, CG hulked up Roshi for his Kamehameha but otherwise...why spend money rendering an old chinese man with a beard and shades? And Goku? Find a short Jackie Chan looking kid, grease up his hair and plop a tail on him. CG for two perfectly human looking characters is a ginormous waste of money and defeats the purpose of live action.

[UpFromTheSkies]

Negro, WHAT?!

I just don't feel like those characters would translate well to live action, so I'd make them CG. Dragon Ball has a very cartoonish quality to it, and making all of it live action just wouldn't feel like Dragon Ball to me.

I could understand Pilaf, Shu, and MAYBE Chiaotzu...but there is absolutely no need to make Goku and Roshi CG. None whatsoever. At most, CG hulked up Roshi for his Kamehameha but otherwise...why spend money rendering an old chinese man with a beard and shades? And Goku? Find a short Jackie Chan looking kid, grease up his hair and plop a tail on him. CG for two perfectly human looking characters is a ginormous waste of money and defeats the purpose of live action.

A kid with messy hair just wouldn't feel like Goku to me. I would want the movie to have a very animated feel to it, so half of it would need to be CG, and I'd make the animals and dinosaurs look like 3D versions of Toriyamas art instead of realistic. An actor could do Roshi, but if I'm doing half CG anyway and I had to pick a human character to be a 3D version of their manga counterpart, it would be Roshi.