This film now has a release date --
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... er-23-2009
October 23, 2009.
Opening WIDE in North America. 3,000 theaters.
Pray it doesn't bomb. It could signal a resurgence of interest in Tezuka productions as well as anime in general.
(Assuming it isn't a bad film... If it's bad,
then bomb away! I have so little time for mediocrity that I general don't waste time going to movie theaters.)
As bad as the general animation market (outside of CGI features) has gotten, the anime market in North America is even shakier. No big hits and interest creators since Dragon Ball Z hit it big on Cartoon Network close to 10 years ago, and dwindling free cable access for show viewings outside of the mass-market Sci-Fi Channel..
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EDITED to add comments and save webspace --
Yes, I admit I have
selfish reasons for hoping the CGI Astro Boy is a good film and does well.
I'd like to see more classic anime released. I'd especially like to see more anime from the Golden Age of the 1980s. I'm not so much interested in anything before then since much of what I'm interested in and like is from that era.
Regardless, it would be nice to see more world animation.
It just happens to be that a lot of the Japanese media is in line with my sensibilities. Weird, huh?