'Kingdom' Announces Live-Action Project
Kingdom is one of the most popular historical shonen manga currently running, and the series has [...]
Kingdom is one of the most popular historical shonen manga currently running, and the series has built a dedicated fans base because of its striking content and narrative. The series may have a successful anime, but fans have felt it perfect for a live-action series.
Thankfully, the wait for that is over as Yasuhira Hara's Kingdom manga is officially getting a live-action adaptation.
Official announcement of live action movie "Kingdom".
Yamazaki Kento rumored to be main lead of this movie. https://t.co/RIo3Dg30e6
— ハズキ (@minyuemily) April 7, 2018
Kingdom's creator Yasuhira Hara revealed that a live-action adaptation of his series has been green-lit. The author stated (as reported by Anime News Network) that he "took part in script meetings, and praised the 'satisfying' screenplay, the 'unprecedented' budget, and everyone in the 'ultra-grand' cast." While not much is known about the live-action adaptation, Hara teased that more information will be revealed in the future along with the start of filming.
Though not much is known, there is a rumor that Yamazaki Kento is set to be the lead (either Ri Shin or Hyou, presumably). If this rumor were to come to pass, fans should be elated at the strong lead choice as Kento is most well known from his turn as L in the Death Note live-action television series.
Fans are also hoping that the new live-action adaptation resembles the fantastic short film the series received a few years back. If the series translated that well to screen on a smaller budget and run time, the possibilities for a film are endless.
If you are not familiar with Kingdom, then you have quite a bit to read. The series was created by Yasuhira Hara and is still on-going. The story is set in China during the Warring States period and follows two orphans named Ri Shin and Hyou. When the latter dies, Shin finds himself involved in a conspiracy which allows him to join the army. Shin dreams of becoming the world's greatest general, and the hero tries to do so by helping Ei Sei of Quin unify China before its internal conflicts split it apart.
Yasuhisa Hara's series first debuted in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump in 2006, and has been collected into 48 volumes as of October 2017. The series was adapted into an anime series that ran for two seasons from 2013 to 2014, and has been adapted for an English language release by Funimation.