The countdown is over, and Akira Toriyama fans have something to look forward to! In 2023, SAND LAND will be an animated film!
There’s no word on the cast yet, but we have three studios, two trailers, a Twitter account, and an official website for the upcoming film. The art style looks similar to Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, and the new trailer looks promising.
But will Akira Toriyama play an active role in the film’s creation, and what kind of Easter Eggs can we look forward to?
A fresh start!
SAND LAND is one of Akira Toriyama’s oldest works and proof that you don’t need hundreds of volumes to tell a story. But while we wait for more information, let’s focus on the three studios working on it!
Why does SAND MAN need three studios?
Sunrise
Also known as Bandai Namco Filmworks, it appears SAND LAND will be Sunrise’s first crack at an Akira Toriyama project. But with ten studios known for outstanding work on various anime, video game animation, and non-Japanese cartoons.
And the fact that Bandai Namco has been working with various Dragon Ball games. So it’s a no-brainer why Sunrise was chosen to help bring SAND LAND to life.
Kamikaze Douga
Compromise is death! With a motto like that, it’s no wonder Kamikaze Douga prides itself on animation with 3DCG. Kamikaze Douga has worked on the Ultra Jump commercials and has the largest amount of supervised animation music videos.
Their attention to realism will help significantly with the vehicles and characters in SAND LAND. Mixing some characters up is almost impossible once the story gets past chapter 1!
Anima
Anima has connections to Cartoon Network and Disney. They’re located in Mexico City, Madrid, Buenos Aries, and the Canary Islands.
They’ve worked on animated films, television shows, YouTube Channels, web series, mobile apps, and licensing and merchandising. All three of these studios are powerhouses in their own right, and I can’t wait to see how SAND LAND turns out.
The trailer is roughly 40 seconds long, but you can see so much shading, highlights, and textures. Everything looks like it’s meant to coexist in that world, despite the differences in character designs.
Rau looks excellent in this art style, and Toriyama’s dreaded tank has an iconic feel. Here’s hoping the movie will be finished before next Christmas!