Interest
Live-Action Black Butler Film's On-Set Photos Posted
posted on by Sarah Nelkin
The Japanese website Cinema Today unveiled a gallery of images from next year's film adaptation of Yana Toboso's Black Butler manga. The images feature such characters as Sebastian (Hiro Mizushima), Sebastian's new master Shiori (Ayame Gōriki), the maid Lin (Mizuki Yamamoto), and Shiori's aunt Hanae (Yuka), as well as the movie's settings and behind-the-scenes photos.
More pictures can be found on Cinema Today's website.
While the original manga is set in 19th century England, this new film is set more than 130 years later in 2020, in an Asian city where Western and Asian cultures freely intermingle. Since only males can take the reins of the Phantomhive family, Shiori dons male clothes and the name Kiyoharu to lead the massive Phantom Corporation.
Gōriki (live-action Gatchaman, L DK) talked about being very delighted with her first role in male clothing, because of how the clothing looked on her figure. Gōriki acknowledged the divergent feedback the film has received for having an entirely new character as one of the leads. She added that it was not enough to embody the character by just lowering her voice and changing her way of walking and manners.
Mizushima (Zettai Kareshi - Kanzen Muketsu no Koibito Robot) plays Sebastian Michaelis, a demonic butler with impeccable knowledge, manners, grace, cooking skills, martial arts, looks, and more. Like Ciel in the manga, Shiori has a seal in her right eye as a symbol of her contract with Sebastian. Sebastian watches over and protects Shiori, but at a price — he consumes her soul. The Lin character played by fashion magazine model Yamamoto (Kirishima, Bukatsu Yameru-tte yo) is also original, as is the Hanae character played by actress Yuka.
Kentaro Otani (NANA) and Keiichi Satou (Tiger & Bunny, Karas, Asura) are co-directing the film. This will be the first time since Beck three years ago that Mizushima is starring in a film. Mizushima previously played another eminently capable butler inspired by a manga series in Mei-chan no Shitsuji.
The manga debuted in Square Enix's Monthly G Fantasy magazine in 2006, and its 16 volumes thus far have 15 million copies in print, including those published in 42 countries and territories. The manga already inspired a television anime series in 2008, a television anime sequel in 2010, and a stage play in 2009. The manga received the top prize in the shōnen manga category of France's Japan Expo Awards in 2010 and the Best International Manga Award in Germany's ANImagic in 2011. Yen Press will release the 14th volume in the series in North America next month.
The film will open early next year.
Source: Cinema Today
Images © 2014 Yana Toboso/Square Enix © 2014 Black Butler the Movie Production Committee
Update: Yuka's credits corrected. Thanks, Silvia Letizia
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