Live-action Attack on Titan movie gets U.S. release date

By Rick Marshall Updated August 17, 2015

The live-action Attack on Titan movie — based on the wildly popular manga series — will indeed come to theaters in the U.S.

News of a domestic release for the film was accompanied by a new trailer featuring the release dates for both installments of the two-part saga about a post-apocalyptic world in which massive, man-eating “titans” threaten the few remaining cities where humanity struggles to survive. Attack on Titan, Part 1 will premiere in U.S. theaters September 30, with Attack on Titan, Part 2 arriving just a few weeks later on October 20.

Directed by Shinji Higuchi, Attack on Titan features a script by Yūsuke Watanabe (Gantz, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods), Tomohiro Machiyama, and series creator Hajime Isayama. The manga series is still ongoing and encompasses 16 volumes so far that have sold more than 52.5 million copies as of July 2015. Nearly every volume of the series published in North America has been ranked on The New York Times’ Manga Best Seller list once it hit shelves, and the first volume of Attack on Titan appeared on the list for 81 weeks. At a time when the most popular American comic books rarely sell one million issues at home or abroad, Attack on Titan has become a unique, mainstream success on the international market.

“Fan reaction to Attack on Titan was extremely positive at the world premiere and we’re pleased to be able to announce dates for the theatrical releases in September and October,” said Gen Fukunaga, CEO and President of FUNimation Entertainment, distributors for the film in North America, in a statement accompanying the announcement. “Attack on Titan is a worldwide phenomenon and we are excited to bring the live-action movies to not only fans of the manga and anime but also horror fans as well from across the U.S. and Canada.”

Along with the live-action movie, Attack on Titan has spawned multiple video games, animated series, spinoff novels, and a clever Subaru commercial, among other tie-in projects.

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