I can’t believe the day after I write the article about FLCL coming back, I find that Fullmetal Alchemist is getting a live-action film. How exciting is that?

In case you don’t know, Fullmetal Alchemist is a manga/anime about two brothers who want to become alchemists more than anything. In an alchemy ritual gone horrible, Edward Elric loses his arm and leg, while his younger brother loses his entire body. Edward binds his brother’s soul into a suit of armor to keep him around. Edward studies and becomes a state alchemist to aid in hunting the only thing that can restore his limbs and his brother’s body: the Philosopher’s Stone.

Warner Brothers has greenlit the release of Fullmetal Alchemist in Japan scheduled to come out 2017 and directed by Fumihiko Sori. The studio starts filming in Italy around June, and the scheduled wrap-up is in Japan in August. So far there have been a few casting released, however nothing for Alphonse yet. Here’s what we know:

The older brother, Edward Elric, is to be portrayed by Ryōsuke Yamada, an actor/dancer/songwriter/voice actor now in two Japanese boy bands. TV and movie actress Tsubasa Honda will be playing the lovable mechanic Winry Rockbell. Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang will be played by Dean Jujioka, a Japanese TV and movie star. General Hakuro will be played by Fumiyo Kohinata. Major Maes Hughes is played by Ryuta Sato, another Japanese TV and movie star. Misako Renbutsu reports for duty as 1st Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye. Misako is a Japanese TV drama and movie star. Natsuna Watanabe, Japanese actress and former model, plays 2nd Lieutenant Maria Ross. Japanese actress Natsuki Harada plays our favorite Major’s wife, Gracia Hughes. The very face of evil, get ready to meet the man you’ll hate. Yo Oizumi plays the desperate alchemist Shou Tucker. The former Crystal Alchemist, Dr. Tim Marcoh, will be played by Japanese film star Jun Kunimura. Father Cornello will be played by Japanese film star Kenjiro Ishimaru. Yasuko Matsuyuki plays Lust. Yasuko is a Japanese TV, movie, and stage star. Kanata Hongō, a Japanese actor and model, plays Envy. Shinji Uchiyama, a Japanese film and TV actor, plays Gluttony.

Personally, I find the choices for the entire cast to be phenomenal. I’m hoping the movie is as good as the casting choices.

As you can tell, the entire cast is Japanese, unlike the American remakes of Ghost in the Shell and Death Note. Director Fumihiko Sori was quoted saying “I want to create a style that follows the original manga as much as possible. The cast is entirely Japanese, but the cultural background is Europe. However, it’s a style that doesn’t represent a specific race or country.” I enjoyed the live-action fully Japanese-casted Attack on Titan. Hopefully this will match that experience, except maybe it won’t have that jukebox. I’m just excited Sori wants to keep everything as close to the source material as possible. I hate how so many adaptations from fantastic sources are rewritten into monstrosities.

I’m not entirely sure how in-depth this adaptation will be. It certainly can’t fit the entire anime into two hours, especially Brotherhood. With the range of the cast, it’s hard to tell what Sori will include. Father Cornello will be there, which means his story will be there as well. Hughes’ tale will most likely be there. Of course Tucker’s story will be there; you can’t have a discussion about Fullmetal Alchemist without mentioning it.

At this time, there’s no confirmation this film will be coming to the west, but with Viz Media reportedly wanting to make more live-action adaptations, hopefully we’ll see the movie at least in select theaters in the US.

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