Warner Bros. Japan has officially announced an anime film adaptation of All You Need Is Kill, the sci-fi light novel that inspired the 2014 Hollywood film Edge of Tomorrow starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. They released a teaser trailer and visual art piece for fans to take a look at. Check them out down below:
Originally written by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, All You Need Is Kill follows Keiji Kiriya, a soldier caught in a time loop, forced to relive the same battle against an alien invasion until he masters combat and changes fate. However, unlike the Hollywood adaptation, which followed Keiji’s perspective (renamed Cage in Edge of Tomorrow), the anime film will retell the story from Rita Vrataski’s point of view. Known as the legendary U.S. special forces soldier, “Full Metal Bitch”, Rita’s journey will explore her inner struggles, personal growth, and the loneliness of endless war.
The animation production is being handled by Studio4°C, the renowned studio behind:
- Berserk: The Golden Age Arc (including its Memorial Edition)
- The Animatrix
- Children of the Sea
The film will be directed by Kenichiro Akimoto, known for his work as CGI director on Children of the Sea and Thirst.
All You Need Is Kill has had a remarkable and interesting trajectory across different types of media:
- 2004 – Light novel published by Shueisha
- 2009 – English release by VIZ Media
- 2014 – Manga adaptation by Ryosuke Takeuchi (Moriarty the Patriot) and Takeshi Obata (Death Note)
- 2014 – Hollywood live-action adaptation (Edge of Tomorrow), directed by Doug Liman, starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt
Unlike most Hollywood adaptations, Edge of Tomorrow was widely praised and remains one of Tom Cruise’s most inventive action films outside of Mission Impossible. A sequel has been rumored for years, but with Warner Bros. Japan and Studio4°C moving forward with the anime film adaptation, it seems fans will be waiting for quite awhile before Hollywood commits to a follow-up film.
Viz Media releases the novels in English for readers across the globe. They describe the story for the original as:
When the alien Mimics invade, Keiji Kiriya is just one of many recruits shoved into a suit of battle armor called a Jacket and sent out to kill. Keiji dies on the battlefield, only to be reborn each morning to fight and die again and again. On his 158th iteration, he gets a message from a mysterious ally--the female soldier known as the Full Metal Bitch. Is she the key to Keiji's escape or his final death?
With a top-tier animation studio, a fresh perspective on the story, and a legendary sci-fi foundation, All You Need Is Kill is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated anime films in the near future that fans should keep on their radar.
Will you be keeping track of this anime film when it releases? Have you watched Edge Of Tomorrow? Leave your thoughts and comments in the box below, and as always stay tuned to Animemojo.com for more anime and anime related news!