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Hiro Mizushima, Ayame Gōriki Pictured in Costume for Live-Action Black Butler

The staff of next year's live-action Black Butler film has released three new images of Hiro Mizushima and Ayame Gōriki in costume as Sebastian Michaelis and Shiori Genpō, a descendant of the prestigious aristocratic family Phantomhive, respectively. Mizushima slimmed down to around 50 kilograms (about 110 pounds) and went through four months of action training for the role. The film will open in Japan in early 2014.

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. This will be first time that Gōriki plays a girl who assumes a male disguise.

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 original manga, Shiori, played by Goriki (live-action Gatchaman, L DK), 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. Fashion magazine model Mizuki Yamamoto (Kirishima, Bukatsu Yameru-tte yo) will play an original character, a maid named Lin.

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.

Images © 2014 Black Butler the Movie Production Committee

Source: Comic Natalie