New Fullmetal Alchemist Live-Action Trailer Reveals Two-Part Sequel

The 2017 Fullmetal Alchemistlive-action film is getting a two-part sequel. An adaptation of the wildly popular anime and manga series, the 2017 film was released as a Netflix original outside of Japan and was directed by Fumihiko Sori, a veteran of adapting anime into films. It starred Ryosuke Yamada, a member of the hit J-pop group Hey! Say! JUMP, who continued his streak of starring in live-action adaptations after appearing in both of the Assassination Classroom films.

Fullmetal Alchemist was originally created as a manga by Hiromu Arakawa. It ran from 2001 to 2010 and was serialized in Square Enix’s monthly Gangan magazine. It is set in the fictional steampunk world of Amestris, where alchemy is a practiced science and the government employs State Alchemists in the military. Its two protagonists are Edward and Alphonse Elric, who are seeking the mysterious Philosopher’s Stone in order to restore their bodies, after a disastrous attempt to revive their dead mother results in Edward losing an arm and Alphonse having his soul bound to a suit of armor. The manga was eventually adapted into two anime series, Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, with both covering the same story, but the latter was released after the manga had finished its run. Both the manga and the anime have become massively popular.

Now it looks like the 2017 film will be getting the split-sequel treatment, as Warner Bros. dropped a new trailer and announced that the follow-up will be released in two parts, both in 2022. The tweet outlines that Yamada will be returning to the role of Edward Elric and that the sequels will pick up where the first film left off. Part 1, named Fukushūsha Scar (which translates to The Avenger Scar), will be released on May 20, and Part 2, named Saigo no Rensei (which translates to The Last Transmutation), will be released on June 24.

With the announcement that the sequel will be in two parts, it’s likely that the film’s producers, Square Enix, are looking to capitalize on the property’s immense popularity. Other franchises have used a similar strategy, with Harry Potter and The Hunger Gamesboth splitting their final installments into two, resulting in massive box-office returns. The 2017 film drew in a respectable $8 million at the Japanese box office, which Square would be happy to recreate with both sequels.

It should therefore be an exciting year for fans of the series. The announcement of two Fullmetal Alchemist films should entice those fans who miss the show and would rejoice at seeing Edward and Alphonse’s adventures on screen. With the realization that Envy survived the last film’s climactic confrontation, the stage is set for an exciting two-part sequel.

Source: Warner Bros.