JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Announces New Live-Action Film

Following the conclusion of David Productions’ JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, Joestar fans have been waiting with bated breath for the return of the beloved Stand-focused anime series. Should the television series follow in the footsteps of its source material, the next story would be Steel Ball Run, an arc that is largely considered to be one of JoJo’s best storylines. While nothing has been revealed on the anime front, the live-action front is a different story. A new JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure live-action movie has been announced and it is preparing to hit theaters a lot sooner than you might expect.

It’s impossible to deny that one of the biggest characters who isn’t a Joestar to emerge from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is Kishibe Rohan. The manga artist first debuted in Diamond Is Unbreakable, initially appearing as an opponent to Josuke but later becoming a valued ally. Thanks to JoJo creator Hirohiko Araki having an affinity for the character, the fictional manga artist received his own spin-off series that has released several chapters in its history. Not only did Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan receive its own anime adaptation, it also received it’s own live-action television series and feature-length film. Now, Rohan is returning to the silver screen with a story that is as creepy as it is intriguing.

[RELATED: Is JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run Finally Getting an Anime? (It Could Be Coming Soon)]

Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan: Confessional

Even though the Rohan television series is one that hasn’t created any new episodes recently, the cast from the series is continuing on thanks to the movies. In “Confessional,” Rohan travels to Venice and finds himself hearing the bizarre confession of a man troubled by a supernatural presence. Ironically, this story doesn’t have that much for Kishibe to do, so it should be interesting to see how this spooky tale is weaved into a film. If you haven’t experienced this story before, you can check out the anime episode on Netflix right now.

Alongside the new trailer for the film set to release in Japan on May 23rd, director Kazutaka Watanabe talks about the experience, “Even now that we’ve wrapped up filming, I can’t believe that we were able to shoot this memorable and important episode entirely on location in Venice. It was a mysterious city where yin and yang coexisted. Ruins, cemeteries, churches, aristocratic mansions, maze-like cobblestone alleys. And there, as always, stood Rohan-sensei, dignified… I cherish every place and every moment we shot. I want to keep shooting forever, I don’t want this time to end…”

JoJo’s Future Stands Tall

Ironically enough, Hirohiko Araki wasn’t satisfied with simply giving Rohan his own spin-off. In the latest manga arc, The JOJOLands, the new Joestars, Jodio and Dragona, actually encounter Kishibe Rohan in their quest to make their family’s money problems disappear. Rohan returning to the franchise threw many fans for a loop not just thanks to this old character returning to the main series, but also thanks to the idea that the “new reality” of the series is now questionable. Stone Ocean’s finale set the stage for a new universe in the anime franchise and Rohan making a comeback leaves fans to wonder just how much has changed and just how much has stayed the same.

Want to stay updated on all things Joestars? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.