Dragonball Evolution | |
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | James Wong |
Produced by |
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Screenplay by | Ben Ramsey |
Based on |
Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama |
Starring | |
Narrated by | Randall Duk Kim |
Music by | Brian Tyler |
Cinematography | Robert MacLachlan |
Edited by | Chris G. Willingham |
Production
companies |
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Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date
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Running time
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84 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language |
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Budget | $30 million |
Box office | $57.5 million |
Dragonball Evolution is a 2009 American action-adventure fantasy film directed by James Wong and produced by Stephen Chow, Tim van Rellim and Akira Toriyama, and written by Ben Ramsey.
The film is loosely based on the Japanese Dragon Ball manga created by Akira Toriyama, and stars Justin Chatwin, Emmy Rossum, James Marsters, Jamie Chung, Chow Yun-fat, Joon Park, and Eriko Tamura. In Dragonball Evolution, the young Goku reveals his past and sets out to fight the evil alien warlord Lord Piccolo who wishes to gain the powerful Dragon Balls and use them to take over Earth. The film began development in 2002, and was distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is the first official live-action adaptation of the Dragon Ball manga.
Dragonball Evolution was released in Japan and several other Asian countries on March 13, 2009, and in the United States on April 10, 2009. Despite being a modest financial success at the box office grossing $57 million of its production budget of $30 million, the film received widespread condemnation from critics and fans alike.
Two thousand years ago, the demon Lord Piccolo (James Marsters) came to Earth, wreaking havoc with his minion Ōzaru (Ian Whyte). Seven mystics created the Mafuba and thought they sealed him away for eternity. However, Piccolo breaks free and with his ninja henchwoman Mai (Eriko), begins to search for the seven Dragonballs (each one has stars numbering between one and seven), killing anyone in his way.