The "Astro Boy" movie hits theaters on October 23rd, and ComicsAlliance had a chance to talk to both Director David Bowers and voice stars Kristen Bell ("Veronica Mars," "Heroes") and Freddie Highmore ("The Spiderwick Chronicles) about the first big screen adaptation of the classic manga.


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While fans of the original Osamu Tezuka manga will notice that new movie has made some visual changes, Bowers said that they are in keeping with the futuristic spirit of the original. "I think if if you look at the original manga now it looks a little retro and 1950s, but at the time it was absolutely high-tech and cutting-edge and modern, and that's what I've tried to do with this movie... without losing the essence and the soul and the story of Astro."

Bowers also cited "Pluto," a recent manga series by Naoki Urasawa that was based on "Astro Boy," as another modern reinterpretation of Tezuka's work. "I think Astro Boy is a classic character and is open to a little interpretation," said Bowers. "The Tezuka guys wanted us to make a more global movie and encouraged us to expand and build on the Astro Boy that's come before."

Kristen Bell, who plays Cora in the film, had compelling insights as well: "He has machine guns that come out of his butt," she said. "But they're not uncomfortable for some reason, they just fit right up in his butt, and it's no big deal. Which fascinates me."