20th Century Fox has set Justin Chatwin (The Invisible, War of the Worlds) to play Goku and James Marsters (“Smallville,” “Angel,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) as the villain Piccolo in Dragon Ball Z.
In the big screen adaptation, Goku is a powerful warrior who protects the Earth from an endless stream of rogues bent on dominating the universe and controlling the mystical objects from which the film takes its name.
Actor/writer/director Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle) is producing. Final Destination helmer James Wong will direct from a script he wrote. Ben Ramsey wrote an earlier draft.
The story is based on Akira Toriyama’s popular manga that has spawned graphic novels, a long-running TV series and more than 25 video games. The Jump Comics division of Tokyo-based Shueisha published the “Dragon Ball” manga.
With shooting scheduled to begin later this month, Fox will bow the sci-fi/adventure worldwide Aug. 15. Chatwin has already begun training with 87Eleven, the stunt performance company behind the action sequences in The Matrix, The Bourne Supremacy,Mr. & Mrs. Smith and 300.
