Origin Manga by Dr. Stone Artist Boichi Announces Live-Action Hollywood Movie Adaptation

Kodansha announced on Wednesday that the manga series Origin by Boichi will be adapted into a live-action Hollywood movie. Majestic Limited production company will be in charge of the film. Boichi is most notably known for as the artist of the hit manga series Dr. Stone.

The film will be directed by Majestic’s founder Josh Boon. Majestic Limited co-founder Darius Shahmir said to Variety, “We are extremely proud to be working with Kodansha and Boichi on Origin. This project will redefine the boundaries of manga and entertainment while delivering an unforgettable experience to fans worldwide. We believe this collaboration will leave an indelible mark on the industry and allow new ancillary avenues to open up along the way.”

Origin was serialized in Kodansha’s seinen Weekly Young Magazine from 2016 to 2019. The manga is comprised of 87 chapters compiled into 10 volumes. It received the Grand Prize in the manga category at the 2019 Japan Media Arts Festival, beating out other series such as Space Battleship Tiramisu by Satoshi Miyakawa and Kei Ito, Nagi no Oitoma by Misato Konari, Momo & Manji by Sawa Sakura, and To dusk by Nazuna Saito. Kodansha USA announced the English license for the Origin manga in both digital and print during Anime NYC 2022. It has since released the first volume, with Volume 2 set to be released on January 16, 2024.

The Japan Media Arts Festival describes the story as such:
It is 2048 Tokyo, which is now a metropolis of high crime. Every night, murder is committed by humanoid ultrahigh-performance AI robots, and they are confronted by Origin, a robot prototype integrated into human society. While working at the international corporation AEE under the name Jin Tanaka, and constantly getting upgrades, he fights his brothers created by a scientist they call “Father.” Origin has no emotions and acts according to his AI programming. The robot leaders that confront him, however, are starting to develop feelings, and they attack him with revenge, which Origin does not understand. He is always rational but hopes to someday have feelings also. This dualism can be seen as an important element that begs the question about the origins and significance of human emotions. Using a Japanese sword of 20-kilogram-plus superalloy tungsten carbide, Origin attacks his enemies and is sometimes demolished physically. His battles are illustrated with exceptional specificity and drawing skills. The sci-fi setting with such detailed drawings and the hard-boiled worldview powerfully engage the reader.