News

Funimation Licenses Live-Action Black Butler Film for May Release

Funimation announced on Wednesday that it has licensed the live-action film adaptation Yana Toboso's Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji) manga. The film will get a Blu-ray Disc and DVD combo pack release on May 2 with both English audio and Japanese audio with English subtitles.

The film's English dub cast will include several voice actors from Funimation's English dub of the original Black Butler television anime. The English dub cast is as follows:

• J. Michael Tatum as Sebastian Michaelis (Sebastian in original Black Butler)
• Brina Palencia as Kiyoharu Genpo (Ciel Phantomhive in original Black Butler)
• Lydia Mackay as Hanae Watsuki (Madam Red in the original Black Butler)
• Monica Rial as Rin (Mey-Rin in the original Black Butler)
• Ian Sinclair as Narrator (Bardroy in the original Black Butler)
• Christopher R. Sabat as Akashi
• Anthony Bowling as Anthony
• Newton Pittman as Aoki
• Kent Williams as Kujo
• Zach Bolton as Matsumiya
• Cris George as Nekoma
• Alex Organ as Charles Bennett Sato
• Robert McCollum as Tokizawa

The film opened in Japan in January 2014.

The film features an original story. 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, a young woman named Shiori dons male clothes and the name Kiyoharu to lead the massive Phantom Corporation.

The film stars Hiro Mizushima as Sebastian, and Ayame Gōriki as Shiori. Kentaro Otani (NANA) and Keiichi Satou (Tiger & Bunny, Karas, Asura) co-directed the film.

Thanks to Rukiia for the news tip.