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The Empire of Corpses Anime Film Unveils Cast, Theme Song, Premiere Date

The official website for the upcoming anime films based on the works of late novelist Project Itoh began streaming a video announcing the cast for The Empire of Corpses on Friday. The promotional video also unveils the theme song "Door" by EGOIST.

The cast includes:

• Yoshimasa Hosoya as John H. Watson, a medical student at the University of London
• Ayumu Murase as Friday, also known as Noble_Savage_007
• Taiten Kusunoki as Frederick Barnaby, a captain in Great Britain's army
• Daiki Yamashita as Nikolai Krasotkin, a young man from Russia's Third Department of His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancellery
• Shinichirō Miki as Alexei Karamazov, a Russian priest
• Kana Hanazawa as Hadary Lilith, the president's secretary from America
• Akio Ohtsuka as M, commander of Great Britain's "Walsingham Organization"

The website announced on Thursday that EGOIST (Psycho-Pass) will perform theme songs for all three Project Itoh films. The cast and the songs will debut in trailers on Fuji TV's Noitamina block in consecutive weeks. Genocidal Organ's cast and theme song "Reloaded" will debut on July 24 and Harmony's cast and theme song "Ghost of a smile" will debut on July 31.

Finally, the website announced the premiere dates for all three films. The Empire of Corpses was originally slated for December, but is now slated to open in theaters in Japan on October 2. Genocidal Organ was slated for October but is now slated for November 13. Harmony was slated for November, but is now slated for December 4.

The story of The Empire of Corpses takes place in 19th century Europe, and revolves around John Watson. He is scouted by the government to become a secret agent- However, Watson lives in a world where "Frankensteins"- human corpses that are re-purposed with a false soul in order to use them as laborers- are used to improve industrial development.

Each novel film adaptation will be from a different director and studio. Shukou Murase (Witch Hunter Robin, Gangsta., Ergo Proxy) will direct Genocidal Organ at manglobe (The Unlimited - Hyōbu Kyōsuke, House of Five Leaves), Takashi Nakamura (Fantastic Children) and Michael Arias (Tekkonkinkreet) will direct Harmony at Studio 4°C (Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King, Tweeny Witches), while Ryōtarō Makihara will direct The Empire of Corpses at WIT STUDIO (Attack on Titan, Hōzuki no Reitetsu).

Project Itoh released Genocidal Organ as his debut novel in 2007, and his final novel, Harmony, debuted in Japan in 2008. Project Itoh wrote Harmony and the novel adaptation of Metal Gear Solid: Guns of the Patriots while he was being treated for the cancer that ultimately took his life in 2009. The Japanese film website Cinema Today reported in 2012 that film adaptation rights were being pitched in Hollywood.

Viz Media's Haikasoru imprint has published three of Itoh's full-length novels in English, excluding The Empire of Corpses.

[Via AnimeVoice]

Update: Typo fixed. Thanks, BinBouGami1234.