User:Tonygameman/Astro Boy (1966 film)

Astro Boy (also known as Mighty Atom in Japan) is a 1966 Japanese-American animated action comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and Mushi Production. Based on Osamu Tezuka's manga of the same name in 1952, it is directed by Osamu Tezuka himself and was the final animated film to be produced by Walt Disney, who died a few months after the film's release, with The Jungle Book being released the year later. It was also Kurt Russell's first role as an actor when he signed to a ten-year contract with Walt Disney Productions, where he voiced the titular robot himself.

Astro Boy was released on theaters in September 7th, 1966, both in Japan and United States to coincidence with the third anniversary of a 1963 television series' first broadcast overseas by NBC, to positive reception, with acclaim for its faithfulness to source material, writing, TBD and TBD. The film was also a box office success and became highly successful throughout the world, often praised and seen as an "incredible cultural collaboration of two beloved animators at the time", even a few decades later following the premiere.

Cast

 * Astro Boy/Atom: Kurt Russell - The film's hero and protagonist. A robot with human emotions and special powers (such as flight with his rocket legs, searchlight eyes, super hearing and superhuman strength thanks to 100,000 horsepower), who was created by his creator Doctor Tenma/Boynton and modeled after his son Toby following his death from a car crash, before being sold to Ham Egg's robot circus as a slave and Professor Ochanomizu/Elefun took custody of him as revealed in the prologue scene. TBD.
 * Doctor Tenma/Boynton: TBD - A self-proclaimed robotics engineer, the former head of the Minstry of Science and Astro Boy's creator, who was a father to Toby Boynton before his sudden death which partially happened because of his neglect towards him. However, after finding out the robot will never grow, he sold Astro Boy to Ham Egg's circus and following his old friend Ochanomizu/Elefun taking him in, often tried to get his son back.
 * Professor Ochanomizu/Elefun: TBD - The new head of the Ministry of Science and a humble man, who acts as Astro Boy's surrogate father figure and guardian, often assisting him in his various adventures and missions.
 * Uran/Astro Girl: TBD - Astro Boy's robot little sister, who was created by Professor Ochanomizu/Elefun as a gift for him and is quite naive and tomboyish, often ending up in mischievous antics that constantly lands her older, responsible brother in trouble. She is also as powerful as him (despite having her strength once split in two bodies before the film's events) and regularly attempted to accompany him on various missions.
 * Shunsaku "Higeoyaji" Ban/Victor Percival Pompous: TBD - A private detective, who is a very good friend to Professor Ochanomizu/Elefun and a neighbor to Astro Boy, acting as his surrogate uncle and schoolteacher.
 * TBD

Production
The origins of the film traces back to April 22nd, 1964, when Osamu Tezuka was able to meet Walt Disney on opening day of the 1964 New York's World's Fair, who came across him leaving the stage just after delivering the speech. During a quick meeting with Tezuka, Disney told him that he saw the original 1963 anime of Astro Boy in Los Angeles and praised him for his work because of it's very interesting science fiction story, hoping he could do something similar in the future and asked him for a visit in Burbank if he had time, which made Tezuka brim with pride and joy, given how his career was inspired by Walt Disney's own works.

Compared to Osamu Tezuka's original anime television series which aired in 1963 and used cost-cutting measures like limited animation, Walt Disney's film allowed both his company and Tezuka's Mushi Production to go for TBD

Trivia

 * Unlike other films made by Walt Disney Productions in the 1960's, Astro Boy isn't part of the Walt Disney Animated Canon, which began with Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in 1937.
 * Alongside The Jungle Book, The Happiest Millionaire and Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, Astro Boy was one of Walt Disney's final projects in his career before he died of circulatory collapse caused by the cancer in December 15th, 1966.
 * TBD