News
Lucy Liu, Mark Hamill Join Afro Samurai: Resurrection (Updated)
posted on by Egan Loo
The American network Spike TV has announced that Lucy Liu (Charlie's Angels, Kill Bill) and Mark Hamill (Star Wars) have joined the cast of Afro Samurai: Resurrection, the Afro Samurai animated television movie sequel that will run in January 2009. Spike TV premiered Gonzo's first television anime adaptation of Takashi Okazaki's original manga in January of 2007. Both the original anime and the Resurrection sequel stars executive producer Samuel L. Jackson as the title character, and RZA will return to provide the soundtrack. Funimation is collaborating on the production with Gonzo and Gonzo's parent company GDH K.K.
Liu will play Sio, Afro's seductive nemesis in the new movie, while Hamill will play Bin, Sio's manservent and protector. Yuri Lowenthal (Naruto) will reprise his role as Kuma, the teddy bear-headed warrior.
Resurrection's trailer will premiere at Comic-Con International's Afro Samurai panel today at 4:15 p.m. PT in San Diego, California. Spike.com and Afrosamurai.com will then run the trailer at 8:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. PT). Namco Bandai Games America is also letting Comic-Con International attendees play the demo of the Afro Samurai game for the Microsoft Xbox 360 game, which is planned for a 2009 release.
Image © 2006 TAKASHI OKAZAKI, GONZO / SAMURAI PROJECT
Update: FUNimation Entertainment announced that it plans to release the DVD version of Afro Samurai: Resurrection in February of next year. Funimation will also act as the master licensing agent for all toy and merchandising rights for the title.
Update 2: The game is also shipping for the PlayStation 3 console. Thanks, denkigrve.
this article has been modified since it was originally posted; see change history