In an exclusive with The Hollywood Reporter, casting for the upcoming 2022 film Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac was announced. The film will be a live-action adaptation of the manga and anime of the same name that debuted in 1986. The creator, Masami Kurumada, serves as a writer for this film adaptation.
Finally, the Stars have Aligned
The cast that has been announced thus far are Mackenyu (Pacific Rim: Uprising), Madison Iseman (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle), Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings), Famke Janssen (X-Men), Nick Stahl (Sin City), Diego Tinoco (On My Block), and Mark Dacascos (Iron Chef America). Tomasz Baginski (special effects, The Witcher) will be directing. Blazej Dzikowski, Will Geiger, and Masami Kurumada are listed as the writers.
Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac tells the story of a young group of warriors. They are called The Saints and it falls to them to defend the reincarnation of the goddess Athena from other gods who want to take over the Earth. The Saints draw their power from constellations and each has unique powers bestowed upon them. For example, Seiya draws upon the power of the Pegasus constellation.
The film will be an origin story with Mackenyu playing the titular Seiya. Seiya is a street orphan who is gifted with the mystical power of Cosmo. He embarks on a quest to claim the ancient Greek armor of Pegasus. From there, he must pick a side in the battle for the fate of Sienna (Madison Iseman), a young girl gifted with godly powers. For those not familiar with the anime or manga, Sienna is the reincarnated Athena. Sean Bean will play Seiya’s mentor, Alman Kiddo. Kiddo is responsible for recruiting Seiya into the mysterious Knights order.
Saint Seiya is considered one of the pillars of anime that was introduced to western audiences in the 80s and 90s, so it’s exciting to see that it will finally see some big-screen treatment with this cast. With works like this, Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell, and Alita: Battle Angel getting attention from Hollywood, I’m left to wonder what other gems may get their big-screen debut.
