news culture Saint Seiya: The Live Action Movie is going to manage to be worse than Dragon Ball Evolution. We are so excited!
Some anime are easier than others to adapt into a Live Action series or movie. Death Note, Monster, and even Hajime no Ippo can go through the “live action” box without making fans squirm. It is different for the TOP of the shonen, Dragon Ball and Saint Seiya in the lead. The film Evolution was a purge, and its heir could land in cinemas in 2023.
Summary
- A “free” Live Action adaptation
- A “Live Action” universe in the making
A “free” Live Action adaptation
You weren’t necessarily aware until now, but the cult manga and anime Saint Seiya (known as “Les Chevaliers du Zodiaque” in France) will be entitled to its own live-action adaptation in 2023. If on paper the idea may seem a bit wonky, in fact… it is. Since its announcement and with each presentation of a visual, a making-of and now a short trailer, the project is sinking. Fans fear the worst – namely experiencing a second Dragon Ball Evolution – and their fears seem to justify this Live Action film as much as it shakes purists.
In mid-February, a short 30-second video was put online to present the vision of the creative teams working on the project and above all to announce a release date for Knights of the Zodiac: The Beginning (Saint Seiya: The Beginning on Japanese territory). The film adaptation of Knights of the Zodiac will be released in the Japanese archipelago on April 28, 2023. French fans of the work of Masami Kuramada will still have to be patient before knowing the fateful date on which the dark rooms will tremble under the vibrations of the cosmos of the spectators.
Bringing such a franchise to the big screen and with very real actors/actresses is like a major challenge that will be difficult to meet without burning your wings. And the first images tend to prove that Knights of the Zodiac: The Beginning is doing everything possible to do justice to our favorite bronze knights… in vain. The film directed by Tomasz Baginski (The Witcher: The Wolf’s Nightmare) takes on the disturbing airs of an ersatz Power Rangers with a budget much more than a real Saint-Seiya feature filmeven if it should be given a chance in theaters and to form an opinion once it has been viewed in its entirety.
A “Live Action” universe in the making
According to Toei Animation Producer Yoshi Ikezawa, the Live Action adventure of Seiya and his allies has only just begun. During an interview with our colleagues from varietyhe said that this film project is “a lot of siw films” and that the consequences were already being studied. It must be said that Toei and Sony Pictures have offered themselves a renowned cast to bring the cult characters of the manga to life. The stars Sean Bean (Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings), Famke Janssen (X-Men, Taken) and Mark Dacascos (Crying Freeman, John Wick Parabellum) thus respond to the new guard of Hollywood cinema, to starting with Mackenyu (Pacific Rim Uprising, Kenshin: The Completion), Madison Iseman (Jumanji) and Diego Tinoco (On My Block).
Knights of the Zodiac: The Beginning is released on April 28, 2023 in Japan. No date has yet been formalized for France.
