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Project Itoh Film The Empire of Corpses Announced For 2015

posted on by Sarah Nelkin
Staff also announced for Harmony, Genocidal Organ

Fuji TV programming block noitamina announced during its "noitamina Announcement Conference 2015" that an anime adaptation of Project Itoh's Shisha no Teikoku (The Empire of Corpses) novel has been green-lit for a 2015 premiere. Ryōtarō Makihara will direct the film at WIT STUDIO (Attack on Titan, Hozuki no Reitetsu).

The film was announced in a promotional video for the Project Itoh films:

In addition, the video announces the staff for the Harmony and Genocidal Organ films. The duo of Takashi Nakamura (Fantastic Children) and Michael Arias (Tekkonkinkreet) will direct Harmony at STUDIO 4℃ (Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King, Tweeny Witches), while Shukou Murase (Ergo Proxy, Witch Hunter Robin) will direct Genocidal Organ at manglobe (The Unlimited - Hyōbu Kyōsuke, House of Five Leaves). All three films announced will premiere sometime in 2015.

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.

Viz Media describes Harmony's story:

In the future, Utopia has finally been achieved thanks to medical nanotechnology and a powerful ethic of social welfare and mutual consideration. This Perfect World isn't that perfect though, and three young girls stand up to totalitarian kindness and super-medicine by attempting suicide via starvation. It doesn't work, but one of the girls—Tuan Kirie—grows up to be a member of the World Health Organization. As a crisis threatens the Harmony of the new world, Tuan rediscovers another member of her suicide pact, and together they must help save the planet...from itself.

The author's 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.

Project Itoh released Genocidal Organ as his debut novel in 2007, and it is also inspiring an anime film next year. 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.


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