The live-action adaptation of our childhood favorite anime and manga by Masami Kurumada, Les Chevaliers du Zodiaque, was released in France on May 24th. The product of the collaboration between the Japanese studio Toei and the American giant Sony Pictures, the film tells the story of the origin of the protagonist of the saga, Seiya.
A young man with a strong character, he is used to getting into fights to earn enough to survive on the streets while searching for his kidnapped sister. During the fight, he unwittingly attracts mysterious mystical forces and finds himself in a world where he meets the armored men.
The latter derive their power from the magical training of their ancestors. He also meets Athena, a reincarnated goddess who needs his protection. If he wants to survive, he will have to accept his fate and sacrifice everything to take his rightful place among the Knights of the Zodiac.
Spoiler alert, below is a detail that is mentioned at the end of the movie.
After the Phoenix’s final battle against Nero, Seiya and Sienna discuss what will happen next in regards to the upcoming battle against the gods. Athena’s reincarnation suggests to her partner that the Knights of the Zodiac must unite to fight the forces of evil that are preparing to attack Earth.
This open ending leaves the field open for a sequel that will introduce us to the other knights of the anime. Only Pegasus Seiya and Phoenix Iki are present in this first opus. The second episode will most likely introduce you to the story of Shiryu, the Dragon Knight, Hyoga, the Swan Knight, and Shun, the Andromeda Knight.
Indeed, in July 2022, Toei Animation producer Yoshi Ikezawa sparked a saga of 6 feature films centered around the Knights of the Zodiac.
“The manga has been very successful in North America, Latin America, Europe and China, so we already have an established fan base in many countries around the world. That’s why Sony Pictures contacted us. The original manga has 28 volumes. The original anime. The series had 140 episodes, plus 30 Or 40 sequels that belong to the original comic. So that’s almost 200 episodes.”emphasizes the producer.
For now, we are considering a set consisting of 6 films.
“You can make a lot of movies with that. And after the success of Marvel, studios are looking for intellectual properties that can lead to sequels like Harry Potter or The Hunger Games. We’re looking at a set of 6 movies at the moment.”– he said at the microphone variety.
After being released in many countries, The Knights of Zodiac has collected only 5 million dollars so far. Made on a budget of $60 million, the film seems headed for a bitter commercial failure.
On the French side, the feature got off to a very low start on May 24 with 5,281 entries. In comparison, Dragonball Evolution had 40,590 viewers on its release date of April 1, 2009.
Will this stop Toei and Sony from making a sequel? It’s too early to tell, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the studios decide not to continue the saga if this first installment is a resounding flop. We’ll know more in the coming weeks with upcoming box office numbers.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
