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The Empire of Corpses Anime Film's Theatrical Preview Streamed
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The official website for the upcoming anime films based on the works of late novelist Project Itoh began streaming a theatrical preview on Thursday for The Empire of Corpses film. The promotional video previews the theme song "Door" by EGOIST.
Additionally, the September issue of Kadokawa's Monthly Dragon Age magazine revealed on August 8 that Tomoyuki Hino will draw a manga adaptation of The Empire of Corpses starting in the magazine's October issue on September 9.
The film will star:
- 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 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.
The Empire of Corpses will open in theaters in Japan on October 2, Genocidal Organ is slated for November 13, and Harmony is slated for December 4. Funimation will release the films in North America in 2016. EGOIST (Psycho-Pass, Guilty Crown) will perform theme songs for all three films.
Each novel film adaptation is from a different director and studio. Shukou Murase (Witch Hunter Robin, Gangsta., Ergo Proxy) is directing Genocidal Organ at manglobe (The Unlimited - Hyōbu Kyōsuke, House of Five Leaves), Takashi Nakamura (Fantastic Children) and Michael Arias (Tekkonkinkreet) are directing Harmony at Studio 4°C (Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King, Tweeny Witches), and Ryōtarō Makihara is directing 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.
