Astro Boy

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• As Astro Boy is under construction, the blueprint plan briefly seen has been drawn exactly as the character appears in the original "Astroboy" (1963) television series.
• Isaac Asimov's "Three Laws of Robotics" are referenced a few times throughout the film. They are first mentioned when the RRF are introducing themselves to Astro. The laws, paraphrased, are as follows: 1) A robot may not harm a human being, or through inaction, allow a human to come to harm. 2) A robot must obey orders given it by a human being, as long as doing so does not conflict with the First Law. 3) A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not interfere with the First or Second Law.
• In 1999, Sony Pictures Entertainment purchased the film rights to Astro Boy from Osamu Tezuka Productions, intending to produce a combination live-action/animatronics/CGI feature film alongside Jim Henson Productions originally slated for a Christmas 2000 release, with Eric Leighton (Dinosaur) attached to direct. This came to no result, and in June 2004, Leighton was replaced with accomplished animator Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack) with a scheduled 2007 release. However, some time after this announcement was made, Tartakovsky left the film to produce The Dark Crystal's sequel, The Power of the Dark Crystal (2011), also for Jim Henson Productions.
• A man in a red cap and glasses with a big nose appears in almost subliminal cameos throughout the film. This is the frequent self-caricature of Osamu Tezuka.