Imagi the California Studio is still hanging fire. By that I mean, nobody's working at the Sherman Oaks facility, the studio is pretty much non-communicative about when and if people will be returning to work, and employees I've talked to have no serious clue about what's going on.
Meanwhile, at Comic-Con in New York City, the fragment of Astro Boy that was screened for an eager public met with positive response ...
... [T]he animation is absolutely flawless (despite the insistence of the moderator that the clip was still “rough”) but to Astro Boy fans out there who were skeptical of this type of treatment, rest assured that you will not be disappointed with Imagi’s vision of the character. Personally, I’m counting down the days until the film’s debut in October ...!
But there might be more days to count than Comic-Con spectators bargained for, since nobody seems to know if the movie has enough funding to get itself completed. Some (now former) Imagi employees represent that "Animation on the picture is about half done," and "The crew in Hong Kong is working without pay ..."
Speaking personally, I'm really hoping that this "working without pay" thing doesn't catch on. Also, that it isn't true.
In the meantime, TAG has over the past three days called: 1) the company lawyer, 2) the company CEO, and 3) the company's Sherman Oaks, California switchboard, all without result. On the other hand, we've bumped up against some fine voice messages.
We're now in the process of drafting grievances against Imagi for employees' unpaid salaries and vacation money, which amount to some heavy coin. With luck, there will be heavy coin to actually retrieve.
More details as they develop.
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