Over the years, we’ve all come across countless shonen mangas of the mythological, martial arts, and fantasy genres. But nothing has quite been able to beat Masami Kurumada’s shounen manga, Saint Seiya, which she wrote and illustrated by herself.
The English name of the shounen manga is fashioned to be Knights of the Zodiac to truly represent the actual storyline of the manga. It is considered to be one of the most renowned and canonical mythological fantasy shounen mangas of all time.
There have been multiple media adaptations of the original 28 volumes, including an anime television series, three different OVAs, various movies, and even video games in the past two decades. And finally, a live-action adaptation is in the post-production phase, named Knights of the Zodiac.
The movie is set to be released sometime in 2023, and fans are quivering with excitement. So, keep on reading to learn more about the upcoming fantasy film Knights of the Zodiac’s release date, ensemble cast, and latest news, etc.
Knights of the Zodiac: Production and Marketing
Knights of the Zodiac is an upcoming mythological and fantasy genre of live-action film in 2023. The movie is still in the making under the direction of the renowned Polish director for the movie, Tomasz Bagiński (The Cathedral 2022).
It is a live-action adaptation of the canonical shounen manga, Saint Seiya or Knights of the Zodiac, written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada. The script for the live-action film has been written by renowned screenwriters Josh Campbell (10 Cloverfield Lane 2016) and Matt Stuecken (G.I Joe: The Rise of Cobra 2009).
The movie is a joint venture production of Toei Company, ARGF Company, Sola Entertainment, Convergence Entertainment, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions, and Stage 6 Films. The film is going to be distributed by Toei Company in Japan and by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions all over the world except Mainland China and the Middle East.
The exclusive producers of the live-action film are Yoshi Ikezawa, Joseph Chou, and Jeffrey Chan. As for the budget of the movie, because the film is still coming off of its filming stage, i.e., production, no budget has been revealed by the crew at present.
The only piece of information really revealed about the production is that filming actively took place in particular locations in the cities of Hungary and Croatia. Filming is said to be coming off of production at present, which is making fans anticipate the release of a trailer.
Thus far, for marketing, the production crew has released a teaser poster on July 20th on the film’s social media accounts like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc., and on the official movie website, which is linked down below. A teaser trailer, which is a minute and seven seconds long, was released on December 2nd on the movie’s official YouTube channel which is also linked down below.
During the San Diego International Comic Con, the panel board consisting of the director, screenwriters, producer, and Madison Iseman, among others, two exclusives behind the scene footage were shown to the public. One of them was a fight scene being filmed, the pivotal scene of Seiya receiving his Bronze Cloth for gaining Knighthood, and the last behind-the-scenes footage was a mixture of stunt captures, actual unfinished scenes, and clips of Sienna, Goddess of War, Athena’s incarnation.
The director and producers revealed that they were planning on a total of six movies for the Knights of the Zodiac franchise. This sent the fans into a frenzy because this meant that all the manga volumes would be incorporated to portray the actual plot beautifully.
Release Date
Release Date: 2023
Official Teaser Trailer:
Official Website:
Much to our and the public’s dismay, an official release date for the live-action fantasy film Knights of the Zodiac, adapted from the 1986-1990 manga written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada, Saint Seiya, has not yet been revealed by the production. The only information we have thus far is that the movie will come to theaters sometime in 2023.
The talk about prospect of the live-action fantasy movie was made all the way back in 2017, and it was said to be hopefully released in the summer of 2019. But it was delayed, and the official announcement for the movie’s release date to be set in 2023 was made by the panel board, which included Madison Iseman alongside the director and others at the San Diego International Comic Con (2022).
Knights of the Zodiac: Cast
The cast lineup for the movie Knights of the Zodiac is given as follows:
- Mackenyu Arata is Pegasus Seiya, an orphaned boy who was forced to go to “The Sanctuary” in Greece to become a knight or Saint. He ends up becoming the bronze knight named the Bronze Saint.
- Madison Iseman as Sienna Kiddo, the reincarnation of the Goddess of War, Athena, and the foster granddaughter of Alman Kiddo.
- Sean Bean is Alman Kiddo, the foster grandfather of Goddess Athena’s incarnation, Sienna, who adopted her and took her to Japan.
- Famke Janssen as Vander Guraad, a former friend and partner of Alman Kiddo who helped to raise Goddess Athena’s incarnation, Sienna.
- Mark Dacascos as Mylock, the butler, bodyguard, and right-hand man of Goddess Athena’s incarnation, Sienna.
- Nick Stahl as Cassius, a former apprentice knight or Saint under Ophiuchus Shaina.
- Diego Tinoco as Phoenix Nero, a mysterious rogue Phoenix Knight under Guraad who is set on killing the Goddess of War, Athena.
Although the production crew has not yet revealed the entire cast of Knights of the Zodiac, we are still very excited about the choices for the ensemble cast so far. The casting director has done a great job with the chosen actors and actresses to portray the roles assigned for the ensemble cast, i.e. the leading roles.
One of the most surprising casting choices was that of Famke Janssen as Guraad. In the original franchise of the Saint Seiya manga volumes, Guraad has been a male character, so seeing him being recast as a female is quite the twist for the original canon shounen manga fans.
As a matter of fact, looking at the ensemble cast, we can’t wait to find out about the rest of the cast. We are eager to know who they’ve chosen to play the rest of the characters in the live-action fantasy movie Knights of the Zodiac.
The Storyline of Knights of the Zodiac
Now, let’s get into the plotline of the live-action fantasy and mythological genre of film, Knights of the Zodiac. Thus far, the production crew has left us in a lot of suspense and anticipation for a long time because only the official teaser trailer and plot synopsis were revealed for the movie.
In the movie, we get to follow the journey of a thirteen-year-old orphaned boy named Seiya. Seiya has been training since childhood to obtain knighthood and become a Saint or Knight for the Goddess of War, Athena.
Soon, he obtains his dream knighthood, earning himself the Pegasus’s Bronze armor. After receiving said Saint or Knight status, Seiya returns to Japan.
After returning to Japan, he decides to participate in the Galactic Tournament. He does so with the hope that his lost sister will watch him on TV.
But soon, Seiya is faced with a lot more challenging obstacles, and the time for him to portray his responsibility as a Saint or Knight for the Goddess of War, Athena, has come. His life soon turns into a battlefield with his brothers, i.e., fellow Saints or Knights, by his side.
We watch Seiya’s journey as the battlefield engages him and his fellow Saints or Knights in a fierce battle to protect humanity against all the forces of evil that exist. They obey their duties as Saint or Knights under the protection of the Goddess of War, Athena, who has been reincarnated as Sienna Kiddo.
When and Where Can you Watch the Movie Knights of the Zodiac?
It is most likely that out of all the subscription-based streaming services out there, like Disney Plus, Hulu, HBO Max, Paramount+, etc., the live-action cosmic fantasy film will be available for streaming on Netflix. It will be theatrically released worldwide sometime in 2023 and then be available for streaming on the Netflix streaming platform.
As to when the movie will be available for streaming, it will take approximately 120 to a hefty period of 165 long days for a film to be added to the Netflix content library on its streaming platform after its theatrical run. However, it is more likely that the set theatrical window time of Netflix will get stretched out because the movie is sure to be a Box Office favorite.
The directors would definitely like to maximize the period of box office theatrical run for a public reception and for a more significant margin of gross profit. This, unfortunately, makes it more likely that the film will not be available for streaming on Netflix until the theatrical run has completely ended and the Box Office is satisfied.
How to Watch the Movie on Netflix
First, let’s enlighten ourselves with the subscription plan prices for Netflix, as it is a subscription-based streaming service.
The subscription costs for each subscription plan that Netflix offers at present are given below:
Mobile (Monthly):
$3.99/Month, this plan allows you to watch and download media on one mobile device at a time, alongside ad-free streaming, closed captions in many languages, different audio languages, and HD streaming resolution.
Basic (Monthly):
$7.99/Month, this plan allows you to watch and download media on one supported device at a time, alongside ad-free streaming, closed captions in many languages, different audio languages, and HD streaming resolution.
Standard (Monthly):
$9.99/Month, this plan allows you to watch and download media on two supported devices simultaneously, alongside ad-free streaming, closed captions in many languages, different audio languages, and Full HD streaming resolution.
Premium (Monthly):
$11.99/Month, this plan allows you to watch and download media on four supported devices simultaneously, alongside ad-free streaming, closed captions in many languages, different audio languages, and Ultra HD streaming resolution.
Here’s how you can watch Knights of the Zodiac on the Netflix platform:
Step 1: You need to either go to the Netflix website accessible via a web browser or install the software application via a compatible device. There is a list of supported devices that the application is compatible with, so make sure to check that out to find out if your device is compatible with streaming with the platform or not.
Step 2: You need to choose your desired plan from the available subscription plans that Netflix provides. Their subscription plan costs are given above for your convenience, so make sure to check them out and choose one that is most compatible with your needs.
Step 3: Purchase your chosen plan and create your account by providing the necessary details and then log in with your credentials to access the streaming platform.
Step 4: Log in with your account details, and you’re ready to start streaming other movies in your leisurely time while you wait for Knights of the Zodiac to be available for streaming on the Netflix platform.
And just like that, you have your very own Netflix streaming plan where you can watch various types of movies, series, documentaries, etc., while you wait for the film Knights of the Zodiac to be released for streaming.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q. What manga is the live-action movie Knights of the Zodiac based on?
Ans: The live-action movie Knights of the Zodiac is based on the manga written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada.
Q. What is Pegasus Seiya’s gender in the live-action movie Knights of the Zodiac?
Ans: Pegasus Seiya’s gender is male in the live-action movie Knights of the Zodiac.
Q. Who created Saint Seiya or Knights of the Zodiac?
Ans: Masami Kurumada created Saint Seiya, or Knights of the Zodiac.
Q. How many types of Knights or Saints are there in Saint Seiya or Knights of the Zodiac?
Ans: There are three types of Knights or Saints in Saint Seiya or Knights of the Zodiac. They are Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
Q. How many Knights or Saints does Goddess Athena have in Saint Seiya or Knights of the Zodiac?
Ans. Goddess Athena has 88 Knights or Saints in Saint Seiya or Knights of the Zodiac.
Q. Where can I watch the Knights of the Zodiac movie after its theatrical release?
Ans: You can watch the Knights of the Zodiac movie on Netflix’s streaming platform after its theatrical release.
Conclusion
Needless to say, from the above information, it can be said that this live-action fantasy and mythological genre of the movie will either pay homage to the canonical shounen manga or it will be an utter disappointment. We have our fingers crossed for the former, of course, because everything seems promising so far.
The production crew, at least those who were present at the panel board of San Diego International Comic Con, revealed that this project was in the making for a hefty time of 10 years, a decade! Producer Izekawa said that he was confident that the movie will live up to the public’s high expectations; it might even exceed their expectations because the screenwriter’s Josh Campbell and Matt Stuecken did an excellent job on the screenplay.
So what are you waiting for? Get yourself ready for the release of the movie Knights of the Zodiac! Read up on all the information given above to form your own opinion about the upcoming horror, survival, and thriller genre of the film Knights of the Zodiac! Do not forget to keep a tab on the release date and get yourself tickets for the film on time to watch it in theaters in 2023 at your local cinema hall.
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