Dragon Ball is one of the most popular and influential anime franchises in the world. Since its creation in 1984 by Akira Toriyama , it has undergone numerous adaptations in manga , anime , films , video games and derivative products .
Recently, a rumor circulated on the internet that Disney had acquired the rights to Dragon Ball and was preparing a live-action series called Dragon Ball New Journey. Is it true ? If so, what is the release date?
Dragon Ball New Journey: the series on Disney Plus denied
Dragon Ball New Journey is the name of a supposed live-action Dragon Ball series that would be produced by Disney and broadcast on its Disney Plus streaming platform.
It all started with an image created by an amateur graphic designer, who imagined what young Goku would look like in the style of Disney Pixar animated films. You can see his work below. The image was released on the Internet with the title Dragon Ball New Journey and the Disney logo , leading some to believe that it was an official project.
The article quickly went around the web and as you can imagine, this rumor did not please all fans of Akira Toriyama's cult manga . Some have expressed anger and indignation at the idea that Disney could appropriate and distort the Dragon Ball universe.
On Twitter, hostile messages have multiplied , as you can see below. Others preferred to take the rumor with humor or skepticism, recalling that it was only a fan-made creation without any link with Disney.
Does Disney own the rights to Dragon Ball?
The answer is no . Disney does not own the rights to Dragon Ball, at least partially. For your information, Disney bought Fox in 2019, which allowed it to obtain the rights to the Dragon Ball franchise. But that doesn't mean Disney can do whatever it wants with the universe created by Akira Toriyama.
Indeed, Disney only holds the rights to the live-action film adaptations of Dragon Ball , which it can produce and distribute. He does not have the right to create animations based on the manga or anime .
To summarize, the Dragon Ball franchise belongs to the Japanese company Toei Animation, which holds exclusive operating rights worldwide.
Toei Animation collaborates with other companies to distribute or adapt Dragon Ball into different media or regions . For example, Funimation holds the broadcast and dubbing rights to Dragon Ball in North America, Bandai Namco holds the rights to the Dragon Ball video games, and Shueisha holds the rights to the original Dragon Ball manga.
Disney therefore has no power or intention to produce a live-action Dragon Ball series without the agreement of Toei Animation . Moreover, Toei Animation officially denied the rumor on its Twitter account @toeianimation , stating that there were no plans for a live-action Dragon Ball series in progress with Disney or anyone else.
See also: Demon's Souls Remake PC: Release date? Know everything !
What are the real plans or intentions of Toei Animation or other Dragon Ball related companies?
The actual plans or intentions of Toei Animation or other Dragon Ball-related companies are many and varied , but they do not involve a live-action series with Disney. Here are some examples :
- Toei Animation is currently working on the production of the animated film Dragon Ball Super: Broly 2, which is scheduled to be released in September 2023 in Japanese and French theaters. It is the sequel to the animated film Dragon Ball Super: Broly, released in 2018 , which introduced the character of Broly, a legendary Saiyan, into the official Dragon Ball continuity. The film tells the new adventures of Goku, Vegeta and Broly, who must face a threat from another universe.
- Toei Animation is also collaborating with Toyotaro, the artist of the Dragon Ball Super manga , to adapt the manga's new story arc, Galactic Prisoner, . This is an original arc which follows the adventures of Goku , Vegeta and their allies facing a formidable enemy, Moro , the devourer of planets. The anime is scheduled to return in 2023, after a four-year hiatus.
- Funimation continues to stream and dub episodes of the Dragon Ball Super anime , as well as the Dragon Ball animated films, on its streaming platform and television channels. It also offers fans bonuses, interviews, podcasts or events related to Dragon Ball.
- Bandai Namco continues to develop and release video games inspired by Dragon Ball , which span different genres and platforms. For example, it recently released the 2D fighting game Dragon Ball FighterZ , the action-adventure game Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, the collectible card game Dragon Ball Super Card Game , and the mobile game Dragon Ball Legends .
