NANA’s Otani, Tiger & Bunny’s Satou to co-direct 2013 film set 130 years after manga.
Actor Hiro Mizushima(Zettai Kareshi - Kanzen Muketsu no Koibito Robot) will star in the live-action film adaptation ofYana Toboso’s popular mangaBlack Butler(Kuroshitsuji) this year.Kentaro Otani(NANA) andKeiichi Satou(Tiger & Bunny, Karas, Asura) are co-directing the film. This will be the first time since Beck three years ago that Mizushima is starring in a film.
Mizushima will play Sebastian Michaelis, a demonic butler with impeccable knowledge, manners, grace, cooking skills, martial arts, looks, and more. The all-original story of the film is set 130 years after the manga.
The manga debuted in Square Enix’s Monthly G Fantasy magazine in 2006, and its 15 volumes thus far have 14 million copies in print, including those published in 42 countries and territories. The manga already inspired a television anime series in 2008 and a stage play in 2009. It received the top prize in the shōnen manga category of France’s Japan Expo Awards in 2010 and the Best International Manga Award in Germany’s Animagic in 2011.
The film will begin shooting in April. Mizushima previously played another eminently capable butler inspired by a manga series, Mei-chan no Shitsuji.
Image © Black Butler Production Committee