Anime has an uneven track record of being adapted in live-action outside of Japan. Asian filmmakers have made plenty of movie versions of beloved manga and anime series, but in Hollywood, there is a Ghost in the Shell for every Alita: Battle Angel. Thankfully, Sony has invested in an international cast for the live-action take on Saint Seiya with the clout of some familiar faces for the upcoming Knights of the Zodiac.
Knights of the Zodiac tells the story of a headstrong street orphan, Seiya, in search of his abducted sister who unwittingly taps into hidden powers, he discovers he might be the only person alive who can protect a reincarnated goddess, sent to watch over humanity. Can he let his past go and embrace his destiny to become a Knight of the Zodiac? The film stars Mackenyu as Seiya, Madison Iseman as Sienna, Sean Bean as Alman Kido, Famke Janssen as Guraad, Diego Tinoco as Nero, Mark Dacascos as Mylock, and Nick Stahl as Cassius. It also is pretty damn cool.
I recently had the chance to chat with some of the stars of Knights of the Zodiac about the film’s domestic release. Famke Janssen talked about joining another big-budget film after her run as Jean Grey in the X-Men movies, while Nick Stahl talked about getting ripped for his role as Cassius. Diego Tinoco talked about joining such a badass cast, while Mark Dacascos was psyched about the franchise potential for the series. Madison Iseman also talked about learning about Saint Seiya and personifying her character. Check out the full interviews in the embed above.
Knights of the Zodiac premieres on May 12th.