What if I told you that actor Madison Iseman is the reincarnation of the goddess Athena? Do you have any idea I was referring to Knights of the Zodiacthe next live-action adaptation of a hit 1980s manga/anime series originally called Saint Seiya? I’d be surprised, as the adaptations were immensely popular around the world pretty much everywhere but North America, but maybe the movie – and its new trailer – can rectify that.
I only know the main lines of the original series, which is that five teenagers get color-coded magic powers based on various constellations/zodiac signs to protect the reincarnated Greek Goddess Athena from other Greek Gods who want to destroy her and rule the Earth. And based on this trailer, the movie seems to be… somewhat true to this:
Here’s the official synopsis: “Seiya (Mackenyu), a headstrong street teenager, spends his time fighting for money as he searches for his kidnapped sister. When one of his fights unwittingly taps into mystical powers he didn’t know he possessed, Seiya finds himself thrust into a world of warring Saints, ancient magical formations, and a reincarnated goddess who needs of his protection. If he wants to survive, he will have to embrace his destiny and sacrifice everything to take his rightful place among the Knights of the Zodiac.
I’m not going to lie, I don’t get good vibes of this movie. It feels like it’s been redesigned for Western audiences, which of course often seems like the best path to movie success, but when it comes to an anime adaptation , this often diminishes the source material. And even, Knights of the Zodiac was never very popular here, which makes me wonder why it was an English production in the first place.
Knights of the Zodiac hits US theaters on May 12.
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