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Fullmetal Alchemist Manga Gets Live-Action Film in Winter 2017

Warner Brothers officially announced on Tuesday that a live-action film adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa's Fullmetal Alchemist manga is in the works and is slated to premiere in Japan in winter 2017. Filming is scheduled to begin in Italy at the beginning of June, and wrap up in Japan in the second half of August.

The film will star Ryōsuke Yamada (Hey! Say! JUMP member and live-action Assassination Classroom's Nagisa) as Edward Elric, Tsubasa Honda (live-action Blue Spring Ride's Futaba) (pictured top right in image to the right) as Winry Rockbell, and Dean Fujioka (live-action Happy Marriage!?) (pictured bottom left in image to the right) as Roy Mustang. Other cast members include:

• Fumiyo Kohinata as General Hakuro
• Ryuta Sato as Maes Hughes
• Misako Renbutsu as Riza Hawkeye
• Natsuna as Maria Ross
• Natsuki Harada as Gracia Hughes
• Yo Oizumi as Shou Tucker
• Jun Kunimura as Doctor Marco
• Yasuko Matsuyuki (pictured bottom right in image to the right) as Lust
• Kanata Hongou as Envy
• Shinji Uchiyama as Gluttony
• Kenjiro Ishimaru as Father Cornello

Fumihiko Sori (live-action Ping Pong) will direct the film. On adapting the source material, Sori said, "I want to create a style that follows the original manga as much as possible. The cast is entirely Japanese, but the cultural background is Europe. However, it's a style that doesn't represent a specific race or country."

Sori also said he could not yet reveal details on how Alphonse will be presented in the film, but is confident fans will be satisfied.

Arakawa published the manga from 2001 to 2010 in Square Enix's Monthly Shonen Gangan, and Viz Media released the series in North America and describes the story:

In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical “auto-mail” limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his and his brother's bodies...the legendary Philosopher's Stone.

The series inspired the Fullmetal Alchemist television anime series in 2003 and its sequel film, Fullmetal Alchemist: The Movie - Conqueror of Shamballa, in 2005. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, a second television anime series based more closely on the original manga's story, debuted in 2009. A spinoff anime film, Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos, premiered in 2011.

Update: Background information added.

Source: Comic Natalie