Tons of Astro Coverage!

The word on the Astro Boy movie from Imagi is hitting the web in a major way, and with the San Diego Comic Con this week, it's only going to get bigger!

Here are links to more coverage I've been able to find, most of which stems from the sneak peak given to journalists earlier. Read on, but be warned that some of these links may contain spoliers!

Cinematical.com - 'Astro Boy,' Rebuilt And Reborn For The Silver Screen - Had this to say about the animation.

In modern computer animation there seems to be two standards – there's Pixar, and there's everybody else. But watching three clips from the film that were mostly finished, Astro Boy promised to have a style all its own – one that feels decidedly digital but is also elegant; one sequence in particular evoked the bustling cityscapes of the Star Wars planet Coruscant. But notwithstanding Astro Boy's familiar, cylindrical profile, the other robots who inhabit his world are intriguingly weird, operating less according to a semblance of scientific plausibility than the whim of their creators.

IGN's Astro Boy Preview - Another pretty detailed description of the previewed footage. Not quoting anything because of spoilers.

Variety - Comic-Con appeal widens - A short mention of Astro with Imagi's Erin Corbett.

That includes building awareness around Imagi Animation's "Astro Boy," which Summit is distribbing Oct. 23.

Imagi hosted a small booth for "Astro Boy" on the show floor last year, but this year it will present action sequences from the toon during Summit's panel in Hall H, as well as feature the pic at a much bigger booth on the floor. Summit will also show off the pic at its own booth.

"We could only show a sneak peek of 'Astro' last year," said Erin Corbett, prexy of Imagi Studios USA and exec VP of global marketing for the company. "Now that we have 98% of the film finished, we're excited to show fans scenes they're dying to see."

Making sure the rights scenes are chosen can be stressful, because you "get such an honest response," Corbett said. "You know very quickly how people feel about your property."

But she adds that it's so important to connect with fans. "You couldn't ask for a more dedicated crowd. They live it, wear it. We're just giving back to them."

USA Today - Astro Boy will fly into theaters in a blast from cartoon past - Delves into the roots and resonance of the character.

"Astro Boy has been slumbering in the American consciousness," says animé historian Frederik L. Schodt, author of The Astro Boy Essays. "Even young Japanese (where he's a national icon) are more familiar with the character than the story."

Moviefone - 'Astro Boy': Family Fare or Fanboy Fave? - Explores Astro as both a family movie and as one for fans of the character.

Fanboys and families alike should get ready for 'Astro Boy.' The Japanese anime icon -- apparently he's the Mickey Mouse of Japan -- is getting his first feature-length film. It's not out till Oct. 23, but we recently got a sneak peek. Though we won't speak for the manga-loving crowd, we can (and will!) say that in terms of kid appeal, 'Astro Boy' looks to be ready for his close-up.

Why Bill Nighy's now voicing toons: Astro Boy, Rango - Interview with the voice of Dr. Elefun.

"I didn't really know about Astro Boy, but as soon as ... a few things were explained to me, I was so pleased to be in Astro Boy," Nighy said. "They have statues in Japan of Astro Boy. They have whole stores, obviously, dedicated to Astro Boy. I love Astro Boy. I've seen some of it and it looks really smart and really cool. I'm hoping to go to Tokyo in October for the premiere. I'd love to be there, because it will be such a big event."

Stay plugged in to ABW for more as it happens!