A Japanese boy looks at a 10 cm (4 inch) model of Japan’s rocket-powered boy Astro Boy encrusted with diamonds, rubies and emeralds worth about 100 million yen ($828,720) displayed at a Tokyo department store April 7, 2003.

Artist Osamu Tezuka, considered the father of Japan’s animation or “manga” industry, created Astro Boy as a serialised comic strip in 1951 and set his character’s birthday far in the future-April 7, 2003.

Set in futuristic Metro City, “Astro Boy” tells the story of a young robot created by a scientist to replace the son he has lost. Unable to fulfill the grieving father’s expectations, the robot embarks on a journey before he returns to save the city and reconcile with the man who had rejected him.

Summit Entertainment plans to distribute Imagi Studios’ computer-animated feature “Astro Boy” worldwide in 2009.