Some may never have heard of him, but the little atomic robot, Astro Boy, is staging a comeback, in a big way. On Saturday, January 17th at 8:30 AM, the new Astro Boy series will make its longly-awaited debut on the Kids' WB Saturday morning block. Produced jointly by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Tezuka Productions, the new Astro Boy series will feature 25 episodes. The new series originally premiered in Japan on April 6, 2003.
Believe it or not, Sony is also currently producing a theatrical live-action version of Astro Boy, (under the very watchful eye of Tezuka Productions), which is set for a 2005 release.
Coinciding with the debut of the new series, there will also be a bevy of promotional tie-ins. Starting in February, Popsicles' maker Jel-Sert will include "instant-win" collectible trading cards in 4 million packages of its Pop-Ice Popsicles. In April an on-air sweepstakes on the Kids' WB will award a winner a "truckload" of Popsicles (or the cash equivalent of $15,000). And during next summer, restaurant chains Hardees and Carl's Jr. will offer Astro Boy Cool Kids Meals at more than 3000 restaurants nationwide.
Astro Boy (known in Japan as Tetsuwan Atom) was created fifty years ago by Osamu Tezuka, who is widely considered to be anime's godfather. Astro Boy was one of the first anime series imported to the US in the 1960s. Tezuka oversaw a second color version of Astro Boy in the early 1980s.
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