Crew

So who are the people creating this little flick? Well luckily, almost everyone involved in the Dragonball movie is competent and has experience in this genre of filmmaking. Stephen Chow is terrific (and also a fan of the series), James Wong has experience in sci-fi movies, and the stunt company and special effects companies have helped do some of the best action sequences in movie history.

James Wong

James Wong (Director / Writer)
James Wong is directing the live-action adaptation of Dragonball, and also writing the screenplay. Though Ben Ramsey originally wrote the screenplay based on a different part of the Dragonball mythology, James has rewritten it to be centered around the Lord Piccolo sagas.

James Wong has directed the first and third installments of the “Final Destination” series which were quite successful in the box office, directed “The One” (starring Jet Li), and one episode of “The X-Files.” For a comparison of all the movies he’s directed, check out this post.

He has also produced and written many episodes of “The X-Files,” “Millenium,” and even the critically acclaimed movie, “Willard.”

James was nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys including “Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series.” He is 49 years old, born in Hong Kong, and currently lives in Mexico directing Dragonball.

Stephen Chow (Producer)
Stephen Chow is a critically acclaimed actor and director, who has given us some of the most creative kung fu movies of all time: “Kung Fu Hustle” and “Shaolin Soccer.”

He is currently producing the live-action adaptation of Dragonball, supervising and giving guidance to the director and crew.

Brian Tyler (Composer)
Brian Tyler has been a Dragonball fan for as long as he can remember. He describes scoring the movie as a “dream job.” He is very excited about showing people, especially the non-dragonball fans, just how great of a series it is.

View his biography at his official website and his filmography, which includes “Constantine,” “War,” “Children of Dune,” “Rambo,” and “AVPR” at IMDB.

Stunts

» 87Eleven (Stunts)
87Eleven has worked on “The Matrix,” “300”, “The Bourne Ultimatum,” “Rambo,” “Fight Club,” and “V for Vendetta.” To learn more, visit their official website at www.87eleven.com.

Jackson Spidell will be Justin Chatwin’s stunt double. For a complete list of stunt doubles used in the movie click here.

Pre-Visuals

Pre-visualization is a technique in which low-cost digital technology aids the filmmaking process. It involves using computer graphics (usually 3D) to create rough versions of the shots in a movie sequence. Usually, this is only done for the more complex shots (visual effects or stunts), as the benefits are fewer for simple scenes such as dialogues. The end result might be edited and might have temporary music and dialogue. Some can look like simple grey shapes representing the characters or elements in a scene, while other pre-vis can be sophisticated enough to look like a modern video game. Read more about pre-visualization.

» Image Engine
Image Engine has worked on “Fantastic Four 2,” “Vantage Point,” and more. Visit their official website here.

» Ollin Studios
Ollin studios (Zodiac) will also be doing pre-visuals, visit their official website here.

Special Effects

In modern films, special effects are usually used to alter previously-filmed elements by adding, removing or enhancing objects within the scene. Read more about special effects.

» Amalgated Dynamics Inc. (Special Effects)
Amalgated Dynamics is currently working on Dragonball as well as Wolverine. In the past they have worked on the Spider-Man trilogy and AVP. For more information visit their official website.

Visual Effects

Visual effects usually involve the integration of live-action footage with computer generated imagery or other elements (such as pyrotechnics or model work) in order to create environments or scenarios which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or simply impossible to capture on film. Read more about visual effects.

» Zoic Studios (Visual Effects)
Zoic Studios (Spider-Man 2, The Day After Tomorrow) will be doing the VFX. Visit their official website here.

» Hybride (Visual Effects)
Hybride is a digital visual effects company. They’ve worked on “300,” “Sin City,” and more. Visit their official website here.

» CAFE FX (Visual Effects)
Cafe FX’s previous work include “X-Men: The Last Stand” and “300.” Visit their official website here.

Ariel Shaw will be supervising the special FX.