Knights of the Zodiac Live-Action Adaptation to Star Mackenyu, Sean Bean, and Famke Janssen

Mackenyu is the son of the late actor, Sonny Chiba.

pacific-rim-uprising-mackenyu-social-featured — Image via Universal Pictures

When news of a manga and anime live-action adaptation comes to light, fans take it with both excitement and dread, as over the years some titles have proven themselves to be better left untouched (looking at you, Dragon Ball Z). However, with the upcoming adaptation of Knights of the Zodiac, it seems like the project is on the right track, as Mackenyu, the son of late actor and Japanese legend Sonny Chiba (who passed away recently due to COVID complications), will take on the role of Seiya, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Seiya is a street orphan who is recruited to start a journey pursuing the legendary armor of Pegasus, along with many other knights who utilize armors that represent famous constellations. Joining Mackenyu is Game of Thrones alum Sean Bean, who will play Alman Kiddo – the recruiter and mentor who puts Seiya through the ultimate test to join and ultimately lead the Knights of the Zodiac.

Madison Iseman (Jumanji: The Next Level) will play Sienna, a girl that struggles with the responsibility of harnessing the power of goddess Athena. The cast will also include Famke Janssen, Nick Stahl, Diego Tinoco, and Mark Dacascos. Academy Award-nominated Polish filmmaker Tomasz Baginski is also set to direct the project.

Saint Seiya (or Knights of the Zodiac, the name that stuck internationally) is a Japanese manga series created by Masami Kuramada that ran from 1986 to 1991 and sold over 25 million copies. It was adapted by Toei Animation into an anime and has since become one of the most popular titles from Japanese anime culture. Recently, Netflix produced a 3D-animated reboot, titled Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac, which premiered in 2019.

You can stream the two seasons of the 3D reboot, as well as the full original anime on Netflix. There is no release date yet for the live-action remake.

KEEP READING: Martial Arts Icon and Actor Sonny Chiba Dies at 82