Few characters have made as powerful or as lasting an impression on international popular culture as Astro Boy. The little robot first appeared in 1951 as a character in the celebrated artist and animator Osamu Tezuka’s legendary manga (Japanese comic book) and became an instant icon. He was subsequently featured as the star of his own television series in both black-andwhite and in color, eventually airing in over 40 countries. Astro Boy created the standard for a new form of animation that has become world famous as anime. Now for the first time, Astro Boy will be brought to life on the big screen. Created with breathtaking computer animation from Imagi Studios, the film Astro Boy is a thrilling tale of a true hero. The film is set to debut in theaters on October 23, 2009.
ASTRO BOY (voiced by Freddie Highmore)
Astro Boy is an advanced superhero robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist. He’s powered by positive "Blue Core" energy, and is endowed with super strength, x-ray vision, unbelievable speed, arm cannons and the ability to fly with rocket boots. Destined to save Metro City from annihalition at the hands of a fearsome & technologically superior opponent, Astro Boy is the city's only hope.
THE PEACEKEEPER
Astro Boy's most fearsome nemesis is the Peacekeeper, a weapons robot gone haywire. He is powered by “Red Core” technology, a malevolent source of energy and the opposite of Astro Boy’s Blue Core. The Peacekeeper is a breakthrough in mad science, the fruit of Metro City’s finest minds turned to destructive purposes. The Peacekeeper is also equipped with prototype “Adaptive Technology”, allowing it to absorb and control anything, increasing the Peacekeeper’s mass and adding to its already impressive armament.
PRESIDENT STONE (voiced by Donald Sutherland)
President Stone, Metro City’s evil commander-in-chief, is consumed by the pursuit of military power. He puts Metro City in peril when he activates the Peacekeeper robot, a superior technological weapon.
DR. TENMA (voiced by Nicolas Cage)
Dr. Tenma, the father of Astro Boy, is a brilliant scientist who has devoted his life to the invention of advanced robots. He is the creator of much of the technology that turned Metro City into a thriving utopia.
CORA (voiced by Kristen Bell)
Cora is a smart, resourceful seventeen-year old girl, who is a tough but caring den mother to the gang of children on the Surface. She teams up with Astro Boy to help save Metro City from the evil President Stone.
ZOG (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson)
Most of the old robots that are dropped to the Surface from Metro City are in pretty bad shape. Astro Boy manages to resurrect Zog and gain a powerful ally who is bigger and stronger than any other robot on the Surface.
DR. ELEFUN (voiced by Bill Nighy)
Dr. Elefun is an eccentric, idealistic colleague of Dr. Tenma’s at the Ministry of Science, who invented “Blue Core” energy, the incredible source of Astro Boy’s powers. He acts as an affectionate, caring uncle to Astro Boy.
HAMEGG (voiced by Nathan Lane)
Hamegg, a father figure for Cora and her gang on the Surface, shows a keen interest in Astro Boy. He runs a repair body shop, bringing old junk robots back to life.
METRO CITY
The home of Astro Boy is a giant floating metropolis with an advanced technological civilization. The city hovers above the Surface, a wasteland of discarded robots.
Check back next week for more exciting Astro Boy features!
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