What will Hollywood
do when it runs out of comic books to adapt? As they search for new material to
fuel the next wave of big-budget tentpole flicks, studios are increasingly
turning to the world of Japanese manga (comics) and anime (animation) for
inspiration. Astro Boy, Akira, Ninja Scroll, and Oldboy are just a few high-profile upcoming
projects whose roots can be traced to back to Japan's twin pop-culture
obsessions.
Next April brings the release of Dragonball, Fox's live-action
adaptation of Akira Toriyama's hugely popular manga, starring Chow Yun Fat,
Justin Chatwin, and James Marsters. For those unfamiliar with the original Dragon
Ball manga or the various anime series it spawned, we've prepared a handy
preview of what to expect when the much-anticipated big-screen adaptation
invades theaters next spring. Check out our introductory guide to the world of
Dragonball.