It was officially announced at the press conference for the completion of the film today on October 3 that 21-year-old actor Atomu Mizuishi is voicing Alphonse Elric in the the upcoming live-action film adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa’s Hagane no Renkinjutsushi/Fullmetal Alchemist manga.

Mizuishi started his career as a professional actor in The Prince of Tennis Musical 2nd Season in 2012 as Renji Yanagi. He played the Phantom Knight Crow in the 2014 Japanese tokusatsu TV drama Garo: Makai no Hana, and Shihou Kimizuki in Seraph of the End The Musical in 2016.

He was originally hired as a motion capture actor for the CGI-created character by an audition with over 100 participants. Though having no voice acting experience, he was chosen to voice the character because the level of his acting was so perfect.

Director Fumihiko Sori says, “Before the filming started, I was thinking about another actor to voice the

CGI Al, not him. But as the filming went on, I started realizing his acting as a stand-in was so impressive.

Especially when we filmed a quarrel scene, I saw an exquisite combination occurred between Yamada-kun

(as Edward) and Mizuishi-kun, then I decided to cast Mizuishi-kun as the voice of Al. So this exceptional

promotion was won by his own ability. Kugimiya-san, the original voice actress of the character in the

anime series, already saw the live-action film. As well as the film itself, she highly praised the Mizuishi Al.

I went over the rainbow with Mizuishi-kun, and was convinced that my decision was not wrong.”

The original manga author Hiromu Arakawa also posted her comments: “I saw the two brothers, Ed and

Al were there. It was so moving and wonderful acting. Despite being a substitute of Al during the filming,

he got the job because his dialogue with Yamada-san was so amazing. It is just like an American dream-

like story. I think the voice of Al in his adolescence would sound just like this.”

The 23-year-old Ryosuke Yamada (a member of Japanese idol group Hey! Say! JUMP)-starring film hits

Japanese theaters December 1, 2017.

話題の超大作ということで、会場には多数のマスコミの皆さんが駆けつけました。各種ニュースやワイドショーをお見逃しなく‼️#鋼の錬金術士 #ハガレン完成報告 #ハガレン pic.twitter.com/FpPhnpNY2H

— 映画『鋼の錬金術師』公式 (@hagarenmovie) 2017年10月3日

マスコミ向けのフォトセッションタイムです#ハガレン完成報告 pic.twitter.com/Amk2shce9S

— 映画『鋼の錬金術師』公式 (@hagarenmovie) 2017年10月3日

以上で本日の完成報告会見は終了です！

映画『#鋼の錬金術師』公開は12月1日です

みなさまお楽しみに#ハガレン#ハガレン完成報告 pic.twitter.com/H6qvzqUvV5

— 映画『鋼の錬金術師』公式 (@hagarenmovie) 2017年10月3日

＼本日は旅立ちの日／
本日月日は、原作コミックでエド&アル兄弟が旅立ちを決意した日 #ハガレン にとって重要な意味を持つこの日に、映画『#鋼の錬金術師』完成報告会見を開催公開までのカウントダウンもスタートhttps://t.co/eBeQnoCpWK pic.twitter.com/dnJxCh4ZWl

— 映画『鋼の錬金術師』公式 (@hagarenmovie) 2017年10月2日

Atomu Mizuishi (via: Starlight Entertainmnet official website)

3rd trailer Japanese version

English version

Source: “Fullmetal Achemist” live-action film official website, Twitter

(C)2017 Hiromu Arakawa/SQUARE ENIX (C)2017 Movie “Fullmetal Alchemist” Production Committee