There were quite some happenings going on at Day 1’s Astro Boy panel. Zooming into the questions is the moderator speaking to the director, producer and two stars of the upcoming animated feature.
Question to Maryann Garger: Who exactly joins Freddie (Highmore) and Kristen (Bell) in the voice cast?
Well as you know, Bill Nighy is Dr. Elefun, he’s a great guy. We loved him so much we put im in twice. He’s Dr. Elefan and he also plays another robot character. We also have eugene levy, nathan lane, matt lucas. We also have charlize theron and a super special cameo playing Zog, the coolest man in the world Samuel L Jackson.
FIRST ASTRO BOY CLIP
Summary of what’s going on 20 minutes into the movie:
Dr. Tenma has lost his son in an accident. Within his laboratory, he creates a robot boy and he gives the robot his son’s memories and is under the impression that he’s human. One day he falls out of a window and fire shoots out of his feet, quickly starting to realize that he has this power that is amazing among others. Then he goes back home to his father who tells him the truth that he’s a robot, and that he just does not want him around anymore. Astro Boy, at the start of this clip, is sitting on a building coming to terms that he’s a robot. the villian (Dr. Elefun) saw the energy source that he sees in Astro and he wants it for his own purposes.
Night shot of the city, Astro is on the top of a building sulking. He’s looking at his hands that are glowing and show the wiring that’s inside of him, scanning at it with his eyes. The peacekeeper robots then find him, trying to capture him with this green rope of sorts. He ends up flying off, surprising the robots and intriguing Dr. Elefun more. They chase him throughout the city, though Astro Boy narrowly escapes and crashes the peacekeeper robots into a narrow slit in the buildings. Thinking that the coast is clear and he’s no longer in danger, Dr. Elefun demands that they bring out the bigger and badder robot to appear to get Astro Boy. The robot appears and completely knocks him out, sending him flying across town. At the last explosion centered at him, he flies down unconcious away from Metro City.
Pertaining to the new character in the film, Cora which Kristen (Bell) plays, David and Maryann, what is the story behind this new character thats not in the comics and is pivotal to the movie?
We all know she wasn’t in the comics but she is a great character. A lot of the story of the film took a lot of inspiration from oliver twist, a kid who doesn’t have a home. Cora is the artful dodger character. Cora is smart, resourceful, has a little bit of a past that she’s embarassed about. She’s suspicious of Astro Boy of him at first but they form a great friendship. Its just a great character for Astro to relate, and kristen’s great.
How does Cora help Astro Boy?
She is kind of sassy and very opinoinated and is kind of the den mother to these group of oliver twist or peter pan kind of boys. She’s got a very tough exterior and soft interiror. She befriends Astro and has a storyline of breaking apart and feeling betrayed, eventually coming back together, I don’t know go and see it!
Does Astro Boy have a crush on her?
Sort of, he kind of has a relationship going on, its mostly a friendship. The moment he meets Cora there’s not anyone else in the world to talk to and Cora’s the first person that he meets after being abandoned by his father that he feels he can look up to.
SECOND CLIP ASTRO BOY: BATTLE FOR METRO CITY
Astro Boy flies into Metro City, its all trashed out. The peace keeper talks to him, emerging and shoots away at him. Then when Astro gets into position, his arm cannons come up as he shoots at the peace keeper but is flung away from the impact. Down at the surface, the kids start going on about wanting Astro back (though Cora looks like she won’t admit she does too). Nathan Lane’s character tries to take off in a van but instead Cora demands for the car and Zog aids her in getting the car with all the kids inside to take off to the city. Astro Boy gets smashed into the ground by peace keeper but he still comes right back up. Then as its walking, the peace keeper gets squished by a building and when you think he’s done, he comes out and captures Astro Boy. Astro decides to fire back literally through bullets that shoot out of his butt. He’s thrown down and completely cornered, and right before he gets crushed Cora flies in on the van and saves him. His relief goes to instant worry when he realizes that the pet robot dog is driving the van instead of anyone who could possibly drive.
More Q&A questions for the Astro Boy piece will come up later on today, but for now here’s the overall gist of all things good at the panel here for Comic-Con!
