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King of Thorn Manga Gets Film Adaptation in 2010 (Updated)
posted on by Egan Loo
The Japanese film studio Kadokawa Pictures lists a film adaptation of Yuji Iwahara's King of Thorn science-fiction action manga for a 2010 release in Japan. The story follows Kasumi, a girl who was infected by a pandemic virus along with her twin sister Shizuku. Kasumi — but not Shizuku — was chosen to be among 159 other people who were placed into cryogenic suspension until a cure is found. The 160 wake up in the dark future populated by monsters, and Shizuku must survive while she searches for clues on what happened to the world and her sister.
Kazuyoshi Katayama (Appleseed video, The Big O, Doomed Megalopolis) will direct off a script co-written by himself and Hiroshi Yamaguchi (Bastard!!, Blue Submarine No.6, Yukikaze). Hidenori Matsubara (Ah! My Goddess!, Sakura Wars, Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo) will design the characters, while Kenji Andou (Brigadoon, Karas, Origin: Spirits of the Past) will design the monsters.
The manga ran in Enterbrain's Monthly Comic Beam magazine from 2002 and 2005, and Tokyopop published the sixth and final volume of the manga in North America last year. Iwahara just launched a new manga version of BONES' Darker than Black anime series last month, three weeks before Square Enix's Young Gangan seinen manga magazine confirmed that a television sequel for the Darker than Black anime has been green-lit.
Update: More background information added.
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