On the heels of a new theatrical film, an SAO live action series has been confirmed:
Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale, based on the smash hit light novel series published by KADOKAWA’s Dengeki Bunko boasting worldwide sales of 19 million copies, is set for its global premiere in spring 2017.
In partnership with the KADOKAWA CORPORATION, Skydance Media, a U.S.-based diversified media company, has acquired the worldwide live-action rights for Sword Art Online.
Having already spawned a comic book series, two TV anime adaptations, and video games, and with its first theatrical film, Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale, set for worldwide release in spring 2017, this marks Sword Art Online’s first foray into live-action television. It will be developed as a TV series based on the storyline of the original series.
With screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis (Avatar, Shutter Island, Terminator Genisys) on board to pen the pilot episode, all bases seem to be covered for the live-action launch. In addition to the TV series, Skydance Media is planning a Sword Art Online virtual reality experience through Skydance Interactive.
Original author Reki Kawahara, live-action screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis, and Skydance Media CEO David Ellison have all commented on the launch of the live action adaptation.
Please look forward to the launch of the live-action Sword Art Online series, following the movie, Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale, set for its global premiere in spring 2017.
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Reki Kawahara’s comments:
I am excited and moved that ‘Sword Art Online’ will be adapted into a live action series by the highly respected Skydance Media. I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation and gratitude to everyone involved in this project, and to the fans all over the world who have so generously and enthusiastically supported SAO.
Laeta Kalogridis’s comments:
For years I have been inspired by the inventive and masterful storytelling of the SAO franchise. I’m thrilled to get the opportunity to work with such talented partners to bring this cutting-edge yet timeless story to a new format at Skydance..
David Ellison’s comments:
At Skydance we are in the business of world-building and SAO is a massive pop-culture phenomenon from which we plan to launch a full-scale and wide-ranging set of live action franchise extensions across our business verticals, beginning with television.
We look forward to working alongside Laeta, Reki Kawahara, and the teams at KADOKAWA and Aniplex to build out a deeply immersive new universe of SAO in an authentic way that honors its well-established fan base around the globe.
About Skydance Media
Skydance Media is a diversified media company founded by David Ellison in 2010 to produce entertainment that will take the world by storm. Through deft use of various platforms including feature film, television, and interactive media, Skydance excels at injecting stories with a sense of reality.
Skydance has been involved with the following: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,Terminator Genisys, World War Z, Jack Reacher, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Star Trek Into Darkness, and True Grit. Its 2015 releases, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and Terminator Genisys, together grossed over $1 billion worldwide.
Skydance acquired leading game developer The Workshop Entertainment in 2016, and established a new virtual reality experience division, Skydance Interactive.
About Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale
A film based on an all-new, original story by original author Reki Kawahara!
<Story>
2022 – The NerveGear, the world’s first dedicated full-dive device developed by the genius programmer, Akihiko Kayaba. It was a revolutionary machine that opened up infinite possibilities for the world of VR (Virtual Reality.) 4 years later…. A next-generation, wearable multi-device called the Augma has been released to compete with the NerveGear’s successor – the Amusphere. A cutting-edge machine boasting the ability to enhance AR (Augmented Reality) to the maximum, the Augma offers a safe, user-friendly experience, as it can be used while the player is awake, making it an instant hit. Its killer title is an ARMMORPG developed exclusively for the Augma,“Ordinal Scale (a.k.a. OS).” Kirito is about to join Asuna and the others as an Ordinal Scale player, but…
[STAFF]
Original Story: Reki Kawahara (Dengeki Bunko / ASCII MEDIA WORKS)
Director: Tomohiko Ito
Character Design Concept: abec
Character Design&Chief Animation Director: Shingo Adachi
Music: Yuki Kajiura
Animation Production: A-1 Pictures
Distributed by Aniplex Inc.
Produced by SAO MOVIE Project
[CAST]
Kirito (Kazuto Kirigaya): Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Asuna (Asuna Yuuki): Haruka Tomatsu
Yui: Kanae Ito
Sinon (Shino Asada): Miyuki Sawashiro
Lisbeth (Rika Shinozaki): Ayahi Takagaki
Silica (Keiko Ayano): Rina Hidaka
Klein (Ryotaro Tsuboi): Hiroaki Hirata
Leafa (Suguha Kirigaya): Ayana Taketatsu
Agil (Andrew Gilbert Mills): Hiroki Yasumoto
Akihiko Kayaba: Koichi Yamadera
