Despite participating with the production team alongside director James Wong in Dragonball Evolution, Akira Toriyama could not overlook the disastrous results of the film, even though he expressed his concerns about it. The film, made on a modest budget of $30 million, only grossed $56 million at the box office and received harsh criticism, earning a mere 15% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Justin Chatwin played the role of Goku but did not receive positive recognition from critics and audiences alike. During this period, Donnie Yen was actively involved in other projects such as Rush Hour 3 (2007), The Forbidden Kingdom (2008), and lent his voice in Kung Fu Panda (2008).
Toriyama and Donnie Yen: A Shared Vision
The mutual respect between Toriyama and Donnie Yen is worth noting. Toriyama revealed on the Japanese program “Kobayashi” in 2013 that if he had to choose an actor to portray Goku, he would pick Donnie Yen, believing that no one else could embody the hero better than him.
Conversely, Donnie Yen expressed his deep admiration for Dragon Ball after the manga concluded. In an interview during the Dragon Ball Daizenshuu, he shared that after watching the anime and the Chinese dubbed version of the Dragon Ball manga, he became enamored, particularly with the character Goku, and saw potential for a cinematic adaptation with spectacular visuals and thrilling adventures.
