'Ao Natsu' Live-Action Film Latest News: Main Cast Members Announced; Release Date Set on Aug. 1
The official cast list has been revealed for the upcoming live-action film adaptation of Atsuko Nanba's Japanese romance manga series, "Ao-Natsu."
The announcement was made on the film's official site last Wednesday, March 7. The main leads will be played by Wakana Aoi and Hayato Sano, who will be taking on the roles of Rio and Ginzo, respectively.
Other cast members include Seika Furuhata, who will be playing Ginzo's childhood friend, Marika; Takumi Kizu, who plays Yuuma, a boy with romantic feelings for Rio; and Rinka Kumada, who will be playing Rio's classmate Aya. Atomu Mizui and Shiori Akira are also part of the cast as Ginzo's classmates — Namio and Satsuki, respectively. Reo Shimura takes on the role Yuuma's classmate Takaya.
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Takeshi Furusawa serves as director for the film, with Yukiko Mochiji credited for writing the script. Furusawa has previously worked on the live-action adaptations of other manga series including "Clover" in 2014 and "ReLIFE" and "Love and Lies' in 2017. He also adapted Yukito Ayatsuji's school mystery horror film "Another" in 2012, and directed the 2013 Japanese psychological horror film, "Roommate."
On the other hand, Mochiji's previous works include the live-action adaptation of "Aozora Yell (Yell for the Blue Sky)" in 2016 and "Principal" in 2018.
The original manga series was launched in Kodansha's monthly "Bessatsu Friend" magazine in 2013. Its eighth and final compiled volume was released last year in October.
It tells the story of a high school girl named Rio, who strongly believes in fate. So, when she is forced to postpone her trip to a mixer party in Tokyo in favor of a family visit to her grandmother in the countryside, she wonders if this change of events will perhaps lead her to the beginning of her first love story.
She ends up meeting a tough and slightly ill-tempered boy while she's there, but could their encounter really be fate or just a random incident?
"Ao Natsu" premieres in Japanese theaters on Aug. 1. Fans can watch out for more updates about the upcoming film on its official site and Twitter page.
