“I got machine guns… in my butt?”
Earlier today, MSN Video debuted the new trailer for Astro Boy, the new film from animation company Imagi (2007’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). Based on the classic manga, the film features the voices of Freddie Highmore, Kristen Bell and Nicolas Cage.
Astro Boy has had a rocky development, including the original director being replaced and Imagi temporarily shutting down in January after failing to secure additional funds to continue production. You can read about the company’s financial troubles in this Forbes article, written just before the shut down.
I can’t say that the trailer instills me with much hope that Astro Boy will be anything more than standard kiddie fare, which is disappointing based on the pedigree of the source material. If you’ve ever read the original comic books, you know it managed to be appealing to both children and adults.
Astro Boy is scheduled to open October 23, 2009.
What did you think of the trailer? Are you looking forward to Astro Boy? Have you read the original comics?