by “All You Need Is Kill” (Shueisha), a light novel made into a Hollywood movie starring Tom Cruise, is written by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. While there are still speculations about a sequel, it has been decided that the work will be animated by STUDIO4℃, a Japanese animation production company known for producing high-end animation in the animation production division of Warner Bros. Japan LLC announced the plan titled “ALL YOU NEED IS KILL.” A promotional video featuring edgy character designs and thrilling action scenes has been released, raising expectations for the anime and rekindling interest in the original work.
“I am honored to be involved in the animated film adaptation of this wonderful novel. In adapting this work, which has already been made into a manga and a Hollywood movie, I hope to further enhance the value of this work with the visual expression characteristic of STUDIO4℃. I also hope that viewers will find a little hope for life amid their repetitive daily lives.”
The comments made by Kenichiro Akimoto, director of the anime “All You Need Is Kill,” at the time of the announcement were unique to STUDIO4℃. This anime production company has produced many popular works, and they raise expectations that the world of the work will bring new developments. “All You Need Is Kill,” published by Hiroshi Sakurazaka in 2004, was a light novel that attracted attention as a hard-core sci-fi action novel in the fantasy and romantic comedy genre, which teen readers enjoy.
A mysterious life form has invaded humanity, and among the people on the brink of extinction, a soldier is born trapped in a cycle of death and reversal in time. The story of a soldier named Cage, who struggles but accumulates knowledge and gains strength to try to turn the tables, gave us the thrill and excitement of trying to solve an unsolvable puzzle.
The novel was translated and spread not only in Japan but also overseas, and when a producer who read it planned to make a live-action movie, Tom Cruise, the world’s most popular actor in “Top Gun” and “Mission: Impossible,” ended up starring in the lead role. Even now, when manga or anime are made into movies in Hollywood, the nuances of the original work are often changed significantly, resulting in disappointment for Japanese fans. Still, the miracle of top star Tom being cast occurred.
Furthermore, although the movie’s title was changed to “Edge of Tomorrow,” the storyline followed the original work almost wholly, enormously satisfying the original fans—Tom himself is a fan. Even now, 10 years after its release in 2014, there are intermittent rumors from Hollywood that both director Doug Liman and the movie’s director have not lost their enthusiasm for a sequel.
The original work is a single volume, and there are no sequels. Although there were rumors that one would be written and published at the time of the movie’s release, no announcement has been made. It is unclear whether the project itself still exists, as editor Maruho Yukiharu, who had Sakurazaka Hiroshi write “All You Need Is Kill” at Shueisha and who went to the London studio with Sakurazaka when the movie was being made, passed away in February 2024. However, with an attractive setting that doesn’t make people lose interest in Tom and the collaboration between the talents of Hollywood live-action movies and the original author, something might happen.
This animation will once again demonstrate the presence of the work itself, and if it leads to a sequel to the live-action movie in Hollywood, of course, with Tom Cruise, the late Maruho would be very happy. For that to happen, the appearance of Emily Blunt, who played Rita Vrataski, who finds herself in a similar situation to Cage, played by Tom in the live-action movie, will be essential. Since Rita’s presence is likely to be highlighted in the STUDIO4℃ anime, Emily will indeed work even harder than Tom on the role of Rita, which she is eager to reprise.
The fact that Rita will be the focus of attention in the anime “ALL YOU NEED IS KILL” is assumed from the statement in the release that “The story will be reconstructed from a new perspective different from the original and the live-action movie. It will focus on the inner world of a woman named Rita, depicting her loneliness and suffering, her meeting with Cage, and her growth.”
The released PV and teaser visuals also show Rita fighting against strange beings, dying, and repeating the same time repeatedly. In the original, Rita appears as a strong female soldier in front of Cage, a weak recruit. In the movie, Emily took on the role of that same character, showing off her well-trained and toned body.
In the anime, the story will be told from Rita’s perspective. Just like Cage, she started immature and gradually grew up before meeting Cage, and the story unfolds in the same way as in the original and the movie. It could be called side B of “All You Need Is Kill.” Although there is already a manga version of “Death Note” by Obata Takeshi, the director is not going to animate it as is, but rather animate it with a look that is different from Japan and could be taken as an American comic or a bande dessinée, which shows his desire to develop it with a global perspective.
Director Akimoto served as CGI director for the movie Children of the Sea (2019), depicting the magnificent world of the sea. He also directed the movie Nikko-chan of the Fishing Port (2021), making him the next-generation leader of STUDIO4℃. By directing “All You Need Is Kill” here, he is likely to attract attention from around the world due to the high recognition of his works.
Amid all this excitement, it would be great if the original author, Sakurazaka Hiroshi, was at the center of it all. It has been more than 10 years since the publication of “Slam Online EX,” an addition of a short story to “Slam Online,” which depicts the daily life of young people obsessed with fighting games. People were concerned about his movements, as he had not been particularly active.
However, the fact that a new project is moving forward like this shows that he is still alive and well. I hope the anime adaptation will be an opportunity for them to make their presence known to the world again. Once the dream live-action sequel is decided, they will also present the world with the long-awaited sequel to the novel All You Need Is Kill.
