The highly popular “Attack on Titan” manga and anime franchise is set to spawn a stage musical.
According to Anime News Network, publisher Kodansha announced the plan for a Tokyo stage adaptation over the weekend. The plan is to combine traditional staging and music with the latest technology.
The 34-volume manga series by Hajime Isayama started back in 2009 and finished its original run last year, with the anime adaptation still having several episodes to go.
The story is set in a world where humanity is forced to live in cities surrounded by three enormous walls that protect them from gigantic man-eating humanoids referred to as Titans. We follow Eren Yeager, who vows to exterminate the Titans after they bring about the destruction of his hometown and the death of his mother.
Gō Ueki will direct the stage adaptation, with Masafumi Hata penning the script and hip hop artist Ken the 390 serving as musical director. A cinematic teaser for the musical has also been released, showing the major cast and even a titan’s hand reaching down towards Eren (Kurumu Okamiya).
Also starring are Sara Tataksuki as Mikasa, Eito Konishi as Armin, and Ryo Matsuda as Levi along with Yū Fukuzawa, Mimi Maihane, Mitsuru Karahashi, Riona Tatemichi, Takurō Ōno, Yasue Kazuaki, Tomoya Nakanishi, Sena, Mitsu Murata, Takeshi Hayashino, and Masanori Tomita.
A previous attempt to adapt the manga for stage back in 2017 ended in tragedy when an acrobatics director reportedly died during training, and the play was cancelled soon after before any live performances.
“Attack on Titan: The Musical” is set to debut in Osaka and Tokyo in January 2023.
