Afro Samurai: Resurrection CD Announced

The RZA Soundtrack For Gonzo, FUNimation Anime Series

Dec 11, 2008

The RZA is once again doing a soundtrack album for Afro Samurai: Resurrection, the series featuring Samuel L. Jackson, Lucy Liu and Mark Hamill. It's due January 27th.

Wu-Tang Clan mastermind The RZA is unleashing a soundtrack album to complement the upcoming series and direct-to-DVD movie, Afro Samurai: Resurrection, on January 27, 2009. The soundtrack is coming out on Wu Music Group, RZA's record label with his brother and manager, Mitchell "Divine" Diggs. The CD features appearances by various RZA protegés, funk legend Sly Stone, several members of the Wu-Tang Clan, Kool G Rap, Rah Digga, and Boy Jones, son of the late Wu-Tang rapper Ol’ Dirty Bastard.

The animated series – produced by Gonzo and FUNimation Entertainment for Spike TV – features Samuel L. Jackson reprising his role as the titular wandering warrior with impressive hair.

According to the press release, Afro Samurai: Resurrection is a sequel to the swords-and-cyborgs manga by Takashi Okazaki, and adapted for the small screen by directors Fuminori Kizaki and Jamie Simone (US version). It followed a black samurai’s quest for revenge and justice for his murdered father. Jackson, who makes an appearance in the upcoming live-action movie The Spirit, also serves as an executive producer and voices Afro's motor-mouthed (and possibly imaginary) sidekick Ninja Ninja.

Here's the synopsis, paraphrased from the press release: "When his father’s body is stolen from its grave, Afro is forced to once again pick up his katana and Number One headband (earned at the climax of the first Afro Samurai) and wreak bloody vengeance against an army of deadly foes, led by a sadistic mastermind."

Lucy Liu, Mark Hamill, Yuri Loventhal Voice Roles in Afro Samurai: Resurrection

Lucy Liu (Kill Bill, Kung Fu Panda) voices Sio, the beautiful and seductive villain who plots to destroy our hero. Mark Hamill (Star Wars, Avatar: The Last Airbender) and Yuri Loventhal (Naruto) also join the cast: Hamill portrays Bin, Sio's manservant and bodyguard while Loventhal plays the teddy bear-headed warrior from the original series.

The original 5-part Afro Samurai debuted on Spike TV in 2006 and became the best-selling anime DVD release of 2007. It featured the voices of Ron Perlman (Hellboy II: The Golden Army) and Kelly Hu (X-Men 2) as the villain and doomed love interest, respectively. Gonzo reportedly spent about $1 million per episode, which was a record amount by the anime studio. Given that Gonzo and FUNimation have greenlit a sequel to Afro Samurai, it's safe to say that they got their money's worth the first time around.

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