Attack on Titan, The Movie: Part 1

Attack on Titan, The Movie: Part 1 (進撃の巨人) is a live-action movie, directed by Shinji Higuchi, scored by and written by Yusuke Watanabe and Tomohiro Machiyama, based on the Attack on Titan manga created by Hajime Isayama.

The world premiere was announced to be on July 14, 2015, at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles, California, with the Japanese release being on August 1 and the US & Canada release being on September 30.

It is the first of a two-part story which continued with Attack on Titan, The Movie: Part 2, released on September 19 in Japan and October 20 in USA & Canada.

On July 21, 2016, Funimation announced the English DVD release of the movie, scheduled for October 4 or 6.

Synopsis
That day, humanity remembered.... More than one hundred years ago, Titans suddenly appeared. The majority of the human race was eaten and civilization collapsed. The survivors of the war built three Walls to prevent the invasion of the Titans, and kept the peace by securing the living area inside. In one hundred years, the Wall has not been broken...until this day.

Plot
Over hundreds of years ago, Titans suddenly appeared and devoured most of civilization. The survivors built three massive concentric Walls to prevent another Titan invasion, and managed a peaceful life inside. But even though the Walls have stood for one hundred years, there are no guarantees they will not fall today.

In the year 858, in Monzen, Armin is helping out at his parents' shop, and overhears that his friend Eren has been fired from his newest job. As Armin leaves to go see Eren, he is stopped by a little boy, who is holding a device that is emitting a loud squealing noise. Armin dismantles it, and promises the boy that he will repair it and return it to him, to the boy's delight. On his way to see Eren, Armin stops at the house of his friend Mikasa, and invites her to see Eren.

Outside of town, Armin and Mikasa find Eren atop a missile embedded in the ground. When Armin cautions Eren against going near it, Eren begins stomping on the missile, assuring them that the missile is a dud, before slipping off it, and falling to the ground. When Armin asks him what he would do if the bomb blew up, Eren quietly muses that he would not mind if the bomb blew everyone up. Armin asks Eren about his job, and Mikasa chastises him, wondering aloud why he cannot keep a job for more than a month. Armin asks Eren what he wants to do, and Eren counters with a question of his own, asking Armin if he is happy simply inheriting his parents' business. After some consideration, Armin pulls out the machine the little boy gave him, explaining to Eren how it works, and noting that he would like to make more like it. Eren advises Armin not to get himself arrested, and then asks Mikasa the same thing. When she is unable to answer, Eren asks them if they are content, noting that the interior Walls are populated with big buildings and rich people, and asking if they would want to go to the interior. When Armin fails to answer, Eren asks him if he would rather leave the Walls, noting that he does not want to spend his entire life inside them.

As Eren angrily kicks the missile, dirt caked on it begins falling off, drawing Mikasa's attention. Armin brushes off the rest of the dirt, and is surprised to see a picture of a woman and the ocean on the side of it. Armin is awed to see a picture of the ocean, and explains what it is to an excited Mikasa and Eren. Seeing Mikasa's fascination with the ocean, Eren asks her if she wants to go see it.

The three sneak past a Garrison outpost, moving toward the base of the Wall. While sneaking past them, Eren angrily notes that they are spending their time protecting the Wall, rather than its people. Reaching the base of the Wall, the three stare in awe at it, Mikasa notes that she has never been so close to the Wall before. As the wind picks up, Eren gives his scarf to Mikasa. Mikasa tells Eren that she does not need to go leave the Walls yet, and Eren angrily asks her when she will want to. Armin reminds Eren that they will be killed on sight if they are caught scaling the Walls and that even if they do make it over, the outside world is infested with Titans. Eren incredulously asks if Armin actually believes in Titans, noting that no one has seen one in over one hundred years. Eren tells them that, for all they know, the outside world could be a paradise.

As Eren approaches the Wall, a squadron of Garrison members spots them and attempts to apprehend them. Eren grows angry when they attempt to restrain Mikasa, and attacks them. The resulting brawl is only broken up when Souda arrives, ordering the soldiers to stand down, and offering to deal with the three himself. As the soldiers leave, Souda asks Eren if he was trying to impress Mikasa, and, amused at his reaction, reveals that he himself was caught attempting the same stunt with Eren's mother, before noting that she eventually chose Eren's father over him. Souda informs the three that the Military is forming a new branch that will journey outside the Walls. Eren is unimpressed, claiming that the idea will be rejected again, but Souda assures him that the Council is planning on accepting the idea, due to a rise in public discontent. Eren is stunned, and Souda invites him to join it, telling him that once they have reclaimed land beyond the Wall, humanity will be free to live everywhere. Eren's excitement is cut short as the ground begins to shake. Armin asks if that was an earthquake, but Souda notes that it was too big to be an earthquake, as debris begins to fall from the Wall. Suddenly a deafening roar rings out as a Colossal Titan appears, towering over the Wall. All watching are horrified to see that the Titan is taller than the Wall, and Eren is awestruck to see that the Titans are in fact real. As the Titan begins kicking the Wall, Souda instructs them to flee, and as they run, the Titan continues kicking the Wall until it finally knocks a massive hole in the Wall.

As Eren, Armin, and Mikasa flee, Souda returns to the Garrison's outpost, ordering the soldiers present to ready the outpost's cannons. As debris rains down upon the town, the Colossal Titan vanishes in a cloud of steam. Eren, Armin, and Mikasa look at the hole in the Wall from their cover, and are horrified to see dozens of Titans pouring through the hole. The Garrison begins loading the cannons as Souda orders them to draw in the Titans before firing. As they open fire, the soldiers are thrilled to see the cannon fire damaging the Titans, but are horrified when the Titans' injuries instantly heal. The soldiers are paralyzed with fear, and Souda orders them to reload. As the soldiers scramble to reload the cannons, the Titans arrive and begin to devour them. As Souda watches the Titans in horror, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin flee. As the Titans continue on into the town, one surviving soldier begins loading his rifle. His companion tries to point out that gunfire will not affect Titans, but is cut short when the soldier uses the gun to kill himself, rather than face the Titans.

In town, debris continues to rain down, crushing buildings, and Titans arrive and begin feasting on the town's inhabitants. Eren drags Mikasa through the fleeing crowd, telling her that he plans to check on his house. As they pass through an alleyway Eren spots Armin's father as he is being eaten by a Titan. As more Titans arrive, Eren and Mikasa find themselves being swept along by the crowd and decide to hide in a nearby building with the rest of the survivors. As they are about to enter, Mikasa sees a woman and her baby, unable to keep up with the crowd. Eren volunteers to help them, and helps the woman through crowd, not realizing that she dropped her baby. Mikasa sees the baby, and goes to retrieve it, but is unable to return, as the crowd begins trampling her. Eren tries to reach her, but is unable to maneuver his way through the crowd, and is pushed into the building, before it is closed and locked.

Inside, Eren angrily demands to know why the building has been closed to others, pointing out that there is still room for more in the building, but an old man blocks his way to the door and orders him not to open it. Eren approaches a window and scans the fleeing crowd for Mikasa, spotting her on the ground with the baby, petrified with fear. Eren tries to unlock the doors to let Mikasa in, but he is stopped by the other survivors. As Eren watches from the window in horror, survivors continue to flee as a Titan approaches, bearing down Mikasa, who is too scared to run. As the Titan approaches, Eren is knocked down by a blast from outside the building. When he gets up, Eren quickly unlocks the doors before he can be stopped and exits. Outside, Mikasa, the Titan, and the baby are nowhere to be seen. As he stumbles away, Eren hears screams coming from behind him, and turns to see a number of Titans tearing the roof off the building he was just in, and feasting on the survivors still inside. In despair, Eren stumbles away from the building, through the wreckage left over from the Titans' rampage.

Two years later, in the year 860, Kubal speaks before the new recruits to the Scout Regiment. After recapping the Colossal Titan's destruction of the outer Wall, Kubal explains that due to the invading Titans, humanity was forced to abandon their agriculture zone, resulting in a massive food shortage. Kubal informs the recruits that it is their job to restore the outer Wall and reclaim their farmlands from the Titans. Kubal then calls the Weapons Squad Leader Hans, who presents the omni-directional mobility gear. However, she accidentally fires its anchors into the crowd of recruits, earning looks of disbelief from everyone. Hans explains to the recruits they will meet up with a team led by Captain Shikishima in Omotemachi. The news that they will be meeting with Shikishima surprises everyone except Eren. Kubal informs the recruits that they will be departing for Monzen at sunset.

Before they depart, various recruits are bidding goodbye to their friends and family. As Eren watches, Sasha watches as her father excitedly counts the money he was given after she joined the military. When her father accidentally drops the money, her mother begins yelling at Sasha, demanding she help her father pick them up. Jean listens as his father excitedly tells him to take revenge against the Titans, before getting annoyed and leaving before his father finishes. Hiana bids goodbye to her young daughter, Riko, assuring her that she will be home soon, but the child is abruptly taken away before Hiana can finish talking to her. Sannagi bids goodbye to his family, happily telling his younger siblings not to cry. His younger sister Koyuki gives him a small doll, which Sannagi happily accepts. Eren spots Armin, and goes to greet him, calling him a crybaby as he approaches, but Armin solemnly replies that no one is waiting for them. Koyuki sees Armin, and calls him over, giving him the doll before leaving with the rest of her family.

As Armin and Eren are getting food, a nearby soldier drops his canteen. Armin attempts to give it back to him, but the soldier thinks he is trying to take it, and angrily tears it away from Armin. As he takes the canteen, Armin recognizes the man as Souda. Souda is shocked to see Armin and Eren, but is saddened to see the have joined the Military. Noticing that Mikasa is not with them, Souda asks where she is. The look on Eren's face gives him his answer. Eren claims that Mikasa's death was his fault, but Armin disagrees. Eren declares that he will kill the Titans, and an amused Souda points out that killing a few Titans will not make a difference. Armin asks why Souda joined the Scouts if he believes this, and Souda replies that he joined in order to see his wife and child.

Armin attempts to explain the Scouts' plan to repair the outer Wall to Sasha. Armin explains that the Scouts is planning to detonate bombs above the hole in the Wall, which will cause a cave-in that will plug the hole, noting that since the Wall is already twice the size of the Titans, a shorter section of the Wall should not matter. As Armin finishes explaining, Sasha takes his tray and begins eating his mashed potatoes. Armin continues to explain that previous attempts at plugging the Wall in this manner had all failed, as the Titans had eaten all of the soldiers before they could reach the Wall, and that now the only remaining explosives are in Omotemachi. Armin then muses that if the next mission fails, it will be the end of humanity.

Jean, who has been listening in, tells Armin that he does not have to participate in the mission, and that people like Armin will just get in the way during the mission. Jean goes on to mention that Armin is not the only liability, and that most of the recruits will be useless in the field. Hiana states that after so much time fighting the Titans, they are inevitably inexperienced soldiers. Jean concedes to this fact, but points out that the Scout Regiment had been wiped out in previous attempts to plug the Wall and, as replacements, they have a potato girl who is only good at eating. Sasha ignores him and asks Souda for more food. Exasperated, Souda wonders how she can eat at such a time, before informing her that there is no more food. A surprised Sasha complains that soldiers are not supposed to go hungry, which prompts Jean to make fun of her, claiming that she had been sold to the Military by her family. He then addresses all of the recruits, noting that they joined the Military because they had not been able to find jobs, and then laments that he is being lumped in with people like them, who are just going to die.

Hearing this, Lil becomes agitated, telling Jean to stop talking about dying, before breaking into tears at the prospect of fighting the Titans. As her boyfriend, Fukushi, tries to calm her down, Jean turns away, annoyed to see the two acting so close in public. Hiana comments that Jean seems annoyed, and Armin answers that Jean is just scared of the Titans. Hearing this, Jean angrily approaches Armin, claiming that Titans are nothing to him. As Jean is about to beat Armin, Eren stops him by asking him if Titans have nipples. Jean and the rest of the recruits are confused by the question, and are unable to answer. Eren points out that Jean is talking a big game despite never having seen a Titan, calling him a spoiled brat from the inland. Jean angrily approaches Eren, but a fight is prevented by the arrival of Hans, who answers Eren's question, explaining that Titans have neither reproductive organs nor nipples, leaving how they reproduce a mystery. She explains that although she wants to dissect a Titan to figure out more about them, Titans evaporate when they die, so she needs a live Titan in order to study them. Hans orders the recruits to gather for an inspection of their gear. As the recruits are dispersing, Jean mentions that he had heard of a guy who abandoned his girlfriend when he was faced with the Titans. Eren, enraged, attempts to attack Jean, but is carried away by Sannagi, who laughs at how Eren and Jean are always fighting.

As the Weapons Squad prepares to depart for Omotemachi, Sannagi muses that Eren will be returning home to Monzen soon. Eren is less than thrilled, commenting that everyone from Monzen had died, but Sannagi keeps a positive attitude, commenting that he too wants to return home. Armin chimes in on the conversation, asking if Sannagi is from a farm in Yuen, which Sannagi confirms, commenting that he wants to return and start farming again. Hans explains to the recruits that Titans sleep during the night, and that their eyes do not work in the dark, before Yunohira reminds them that despite this, Titans are also sensitive to noise, so they must refrain from speaking while in Titan territory. The Weapons Squad subsequently departs.

While traveling, Sannagi comments that in Omotemachi they will meet the "Goddess," a female squad leader under Shikishima who has supposedly killed over ten Titans in half a year. Sometime later, one of the squad leaders orders the vehicles stopped, claiming that there is something near their position. The recruits are dispatched to check the perimeter. Jean is startled by movement but is surprised to see that, rather than Titans, the movement is coming from a few cows, making him wonder if Titans eat solely humans. While searching, Sasha's stomach begins to rumble, and Armin gives her some food he had been keeping with him. Deciding that there are no Titans, the squad begins to depart, but Hiana, claiming to hear a crying child, goes off on her own to find it. Eren follows, and the two end up in an abandoned building together. As they explore, a child's crying becomes audible, but as they explore, they discover that the crying is coming from an infant Titan. The Titan tries to attack them, but when it is unable to follow them, it lets loose a deafening cry that begins to attract other Titans to the squad's position.

Although Yunohira reminds the recruits to stay quiet, they begin to panic at the sound of approaching Titans. Yunohira reminds them that Titans are attracted by noise and orders them to be quiet one last time before he is grabbed by a Titan and dragged out of sight. As more Titans arrive, Kubal and his subordinates start the squad's vehicles and begin to depart without the recruits, to their horror. Hans calls to them from one of the vehicles, instructing them to take refuge in the nearby buildings. As he flees, Armin trips, and is set upon by a Titan before he can get up. However, before the Titan can reach him, Sannagi steps between them, grabbing the Titan's arm and throwing it away from himself and Armin.

The recruits finally reach Omotemachi on foot, but find their way barred by another Titan. As Eren gazes at the Titan, he recalls a lesson given to the recruits by Hans, explaining that a Titan's weak spot is the back of its neck, and the purpose of the omni-directional mobility gear. As Eren recalls how to use the omni-directional mobility gear, Shikishima appears, expertly defeating the Titan attacking the recruits. The recruits watch Shikishima in awe, but are distracted by a second Titan approaching, which is quickly defeated by a second soldier. As the Titan evaporates, the second soldier reveals herself to be Mikasa, to Eren and Armin's shock. Ignoring both of them, Mikasa immediately departs with Shikishima.

As the injured are treated, Kubal and Shikishima meet. Kubal praises Shikishima for defending the explosives, and Shikishima replies that he attempted to inspect them himself, but has been unable to get through the door holding them. Kubal, amused, leads Shikishima and Hans into another room, where supplies are being kept. Hans, confused asks where they are keeping the explosives. Kubal explains to Shikishima that there have been rumors of an insurgency, as a hatch in the floor opens. Hans is delighted to see the hatch work, and goes to inspect it while Shikishima comments that the explosives were definitely safe inside of it.

As the soldiers load supplies onto the vehicles, Jean attacks Eren for attracting Titans to their position. Eren does not tell anyone that it was Hiana who attracted the Titans, instead commenting that it smelled as if Jean had soiled himself in fear of the Titans. Jean angrily attacks Eren, but Eren fights back, resulting in a brawl between the two that ends when Eren knees Jean in the face, knocking him out. However, Eren's victory is short-lived as Mikasa approaches from behind and throws to the ground with ease. Eren is left speechless, but Armin steps up, asking Mikasa what had happened to her. Mikasa ignores him and leaves. Eren is left stunned, until Shikishima approaches him, to his surprise. Shikishima asks for Eren's name and, upon hearing it, instructs Eren to follow him.

Once alone, Shikishima asks Eren about his parents. Eren informs him that his parents died when he was young, and that he has no memory of them. Mustering up his courage, Eren asks Shikishima about Mikasa, and Shikishima informs him that he taught Mikasa how to fight Titans. Shikishima asks Eren if he wants to learn how to fight; when hearing Eren's reply, Shikishima asks Eren why he wants to fight them. Eren states that he hates the Titans, and Shikishima, again, asks why. Eren replies that he hates Titan because they are the ones who trapped the humans within the Walls. At this, Shikishima laughs, and tells Eren that safety is their true enemy, not the Titans. Shikishima asks Eren what you call animals that live inside fences in fear of wolves. Eren answers "Cattle." Shikishima then asks Eren what he is, and Eren angrily declares that he is not like that. Amused, Shikishima tells Eren that if he is not, he should go fly. As he departs, Shikishima tells Eren that he can only gain by letting go.

As Armin sits with Sasha, he takes out the device that he had promised the little boy in Monzen he would fix. As he inspects it, Armin mentions that the little boy had died. As he shows the machine to Sasha, Armin tells her that he had heard that there used to be lots of machines, including machines that allowed humans to fly in the sky, before noting that such machines are now forbidden. Sasha, who was not listening, drops the apple she is holding, and when she and Armin go get it, they find the apple next to Kubal. Alarmed, Armin salutes Kubal, who asks Armin if he ever learned in school what the technological advancements led to. Armin quickly replies that they led to environmental destruction, wasted resources, and war. Kubal, satisfied with Armin's answer, orders him to get some rest before leaving, crushing Sasha's apple underfoot in the process.

As Souda treats Jean's wounds, he comments that fighting was the one thing Eren was always good at. After Souda is done treating him, Jean comments that Souda reeks of booze. When asked why he hates Eren so much by Sannagi, Jean replies that Eren has a look on his face like he is carrying the world's misery by himself. Sannagi mentions Eren losing his girlfriend, and Souda informs them that her name was Mikasa, to their surprise.

Eren finds Mikasa playing a piano. When he tries to tell that he is glad to see her alive, Mikasa angrily tells Eren that the baby she tried to save was eaten, and reveals that she too, was injured, showing Eren a giant bite mark on her side. As Eren watches her, stunned, Mikasa informs him the world is cruel, and that she plans to keep killing Titans. When Eren attempts to approach her, he is hit in the head with an apple. Eren picks it up, and realizes that Shikishima has been watching them. Seeing how close Mikasa and Shikishima are, Eren leaves in a stupor.

Outside, Eren begins screaming in frustration, but is stopped by Hiana, who asks if he is planning on attracting more Titans. Eren attempts to apologize, but Hiana insists that it is she who should be apologizing, before dragging Eren off to one of the abandoned buildings. Hiana asks what happened between Eren and Mikasa. When Eren refuses to answer, Hiana comments that he still acts like a kid, but Eren is unfazed. As they talk, Fukushi and Lil arrive, and Hiana quietly wonders if they will get to marry each other. Hiana claims that it is not right that they need permission to marry. Hiana explains to Eren that by joining the Military, she is provided with child support. Hiana attempts to seduce Eren, but is interrupted when a Titan smashes through a Wall and grabs Hiana, dragging her outside and eating her.

Outside, Hans alerts the rest of the soldiers to the Titan attack, and the soldiers begin equipping their omni-directional mobility gear. As Eren and the recruits go to the rooftops, Shikishima and Mikasa begin fighting the Titans. On the ground, Sannagi cripples the Titans by slicing out the muscle of their legs with his ax. A girl in Scout Regiment tries to kill a Titan but is hit by its hand killing her instantly. Kubal and the rest of the Military Police defend the explosives from the Titans.

Sasha and Armin take refuge on the ground, hiding from the Titans among the rubble. As Armin equips his omni-directional mobility gear, he is distracted by the sound of crying and turns to see Lil trying to wake up Fukushi. Souda arrives and tries to get Lil to retreat, but Lil begs Souda to treat Fukushi. Souda looks at Fukushi, who has bitten in half, and gives Lil a sad look. Lil breaks out in tears at the realization that Fukushi is dead, as Armin and Sasha watch in horror. Lil vows to kill the Titans as Souda drags her away from Fukushi's body.

Hans spots one of the squad's vehicles leaving, and when she demands to know who is leaving. An unknown thief sticks his head out of the window. Hans angrily alerts everyone that a thief has taken one of their vehicles. As the man drives away, Lil lands on the vehicle, lighting the explosives as she moves to the driver's cab. Upon reaching it, Lil angrily kicks the man out of the driver's seat. The two wrestle for control, but Lil eventually manages to kick the man out of the vehicle. Unimpeded, Lil directs the vehicle toward the nearest Titans, and drives it into them, causing the explosives onboard to go off, causing a massive explosion that damages all of the nearby Titans and kills Lil.

Watching the explosion, Hans despairs over the loss of their only remaining explosives. On the roof of one of the buildings, Eren watches the Titans devour his comrades in despair. Jean, who has been hiding on top of the building, quietly comments that they are in hell. Eren demands to know what he is doing, and Jean tells Eren that humans are weak. As a nearby Titan devours another of their comrades, Jean suggests that they take the opportunity to flee while the Titan is distracted. Eren angrily tries to stop him, but Jean pulls free, telling Eren that there is no way they can beat the Titans. Eren, enraged, leaves him behind and begins fighting the Titans.

Using his omni-directional mobility gear, Eren attempts to fight the Titans, but is unable to damage them, breaking his blades in the process. Shikishima, who has been observing Eren, tells him that he cannot be afraid of being caught, and orders Eren to fly directly into their midst. Listening to Shikishima's advice, Eren draws two new blades and flies directly into the Titans. Dodging their attacks, Eren slices one Titan's neck, but misses its weak spot. Shikishima informs Eren that he must always return to deliver the final blow. Eren, determined, flies back toward the Titan, successfully slicing out the nape of its neck. Proud of his kill, Eren fails to realize that he is flying directly toward a second Titan and his leg becomes caught in its mouth. Eren tries to get free, but before he can, the Titan bites off his leg, and Eren is thrown away, landing atop a nearby building. Shikishima, seeing Eren's defeat, calmly muses that sometimes people are unlucky before departing.

As the rest of the squad continues to lament the loss of the explosives, Sannagi approaches and directs their attention to the building where Jean has been hiding, which is now swarming with Titans. As Sannagi comments that Jean only talked big, Armin tells everyone present that he has a plan to save Jean. They attract Jean's Titans by firing flares, and making noise to draw the Titans in. As a Titan approaches, Sasha blinds it by shooting its eyes with her arrows while Sannagi cripples it by slicing its legs, before Jean finishes it off with a strike to its nape. Armin is stunned to learn from Jean that Eren has apparently been killed by the Titans, and fails to notice a nearby Titan which grabs him and prepares to eat him.

As Mikasa slays another Titan, she spots an injured Eren, but decides to leave him in favor of fighting more Titans. As Eren regains consciousness, he sees Armin in the grip of a Titan. Sasha attempts to force it to drop Armin by shooting its arm with arrows, but the Titan ignores her. Sannagi attempts to slice its ankles and cripple it, but his ax is not able to penetrate the Titan's skin. Jean attempts to slice out the Titan's nape, but his blades are not able to successfully cut it. The Titan places Armin in its mouth, but as Armin begins to slip down its throat, Eren appears, grabbing Armin, and pulls him out of the Titan's mouth. However, Eren was not able to escape, as the Titan bites down, cutting off Eren's arm before swallowing him. Inside the Titan's stomach, Eren is both horrified and enraged to find Hiana's corpse.

Atop one of the buildings, Hans and the recruits survey the battlefield. Hans notes that Kubal and the Military Police have already evacuated, abandoning them, leading Jean to wonder if the recruits had been used as bait for the Titans. As a Titan grabs a recruit named Minami, Mikasa arrives to join up with the recruits. Armin, in a daze, presents Eren's arm to Mikasa, informing her that he was eaten. Mikasa, apparently unfazed, informs the recruits that she will carve them a path through the Titans. Armin tries to protest, reminding her that she is almost out of gas, but is ignored. As Mikasa takes off, the recruits fail to notice steam rising from Eren's arm.

As Mikasa flies, she begins killing Titans in quick succession. However, she quickly runs out of gas and falls to the ground, where she is set upon by the Titan that swallowed Eren. Determined not to give up, Mikasa prepares to fight it, but is surprised when the Titan instead begins to contort in pain, and grabbing its stomach. As Mikasa watches, two huge hands emerge from the Titan's mouth, before the Titan's entire body is torn apart. From its remains emerges a new Titan, a Mysterious Titan, which lets out a powerful roar that attracts all of the nearby Titans. As the Weapons Squad watches, the Mysterious Titan begins to engage the other Titans in melee, to everyone's shock.

As more Titans approach, the Mysterious Titan engages them, destroying most of them with a single, powerful punch to their heads. As the Weapons Squad watches, Sannagi wonders if the Titan is on their side, and Hans is amazed, recognizing the Titan's advanced fighting as a sign of intelligence. As they watch the Mysterious Titan fight, Souda and Mikasa recognize its fighting style. The Mysterious Titan then approaches the building the Weapons Squad is positioned on, smashing a section of it next to Mikasa, to the horror of the recruits. Mikasa, in awe of the Titan, is picked up by the Rouge Titan, to everyone's terror. However, before it can do anything, the Titan keels over, and drops Mikasa on the building before falling to the ground.

On the ground, Hans begins to panic, believing that the Titan will evaporate before they can examine it. As Hans prepares to approach the Titan, Souda orders her to cut open the Titan's nape without damaging the inside. Hans is confused, but Souda orders her to hurry, before "he" is absorbed. Mikasa takes Jean's blades and climbs onto the Titan's neck, where she cuts open the Titan's neck. To everyone's shock, a fully-healed Eren emerges screaming from the Titan's neck, before passing out. As the Weapons Squad flocks around Eren, Hans wonders if the reason for a Titan's weak spot being its nape is because of this. Atop a nearby building, Shikishima observes Eren being pulled from the Titan.

Description
The story of the live-action movie is based on the manga but includes some original aspects and was supervised by the author, Hajime Isayama.

Among the aspects that the film shares with its manga counterpart are the concepts of the Titans, the Walls, the three military factions and the omni-directional mobility gear. Manga characters confirmed to appear in the movie are Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackermann, Armin Arlelt, Hange Zoë, Sasha Braus and Jean Kirschtein. The Colossal Titan appears too, but its identity is not Bertholdt Hoover in the movies' continuity. Eren is also shown being able to transform into Titan, showing that the power of the Titans exists in that continuity.

However, there are many differences; one of the most notable being that all characters are portrayed by Japanese actors, while in the original work, most people have western names and features (except the Asian races). Also, many of them bear little physical resemblance with the manga versions, including the case of Armin portrayed by an actor with black hair.

The world depicted in the movies has more advanced technology than the one shown in the manga and the rest of derivated works. Several images were released where Hange was holding an RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade). In the manga, that level of technology has never displayed. Also on trailers and pictures, several motorized vehicles can be seen, while in the manga, horses are the principal way of transporting people, and the most advanced device seems to be the omni-directional mobility gear (which works with compressed gas).

A new character called Shikishima replaces Levi as Humanity's Strongest Soldier, being referred to as "The Strongest Man" in his cast poster. Other new characters introduced in the movie in main roles are Souda, Hiana, Kubal, Fukushi, Sannagi, and Lil.

The timeline is from year 858 to year 860, set 8–10 years after the original story.

Production information
The film was announced on October 2011, with a planned release date in 2013, however was later changed to August 1, 2015. and in December 2011 was announced to be a live-action movie. A car commercial featuring the Titans and directed by Shinji Higuchi was also announced.

Filming began May, 2014 and finished August, 2014. Shooting locations include Hashima Island in Nagasaki Prefecture, Kumamoto Prefecture, Ibaraki Prefecture and Toho studio.

Release
The film is scheduled for release in Japan on August 1, 2015 In June 29 it was announced that Funimation acquired the theatrical, home entertainment, video on demand and broadcast rights to the movies across the Americas (North America, Central America and South America).

Funimation also announced that the film’s director Shinji Higuchi was going to appear at the San Diego Comic-Con for an autograph session on Sunday, July 12, at 1:00 p.m. PST at Funimation’s booth (#4135). Following this, they hosted the world premiere of the first movie in Japanese with English subtitles at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles, CA on Tuesday, July 14. Haruma Miura and Kiko Mizuhara, who portray Eren and Mikasa in the movie respectively, appeared at the film’s premiere along with the director.

"Funimation is honored to host the world premiere of Attack on Titan here in the United States with Toho," said Gen Fukunaga, CEO and President of Funimation Entertainment. "Attack on Titan is truly a worldwide phenomenon and we are excited to bring the live action movie to theaters across the Americas later this fall."

On August 14, Funimation revealed the screening dates of both parts of the movie in US and Canada, with Part 1 screening in a limited theatrical release on September 30, October 1 and October 7, and Part 2 airing three weeks later on October 20, 22 and 27.

“Fan reaction to Attack on Titan was extremely positive at the world premiere and we’re pleased to be able to announce dates for the theatrical releases in September and October,” said Gen Fukunaga, CEO and President of Funimation Entertainment, in a press statement. “Attack on Titan is a worldwide phenomenon and we are excited to bring the live action movies to not only fans of the manga and anime but also horror fans as well from across the U.S. and Canada.”

Cast, Crew and other Details

 * Haruma Miura - Eren
 * Hiroki Hasegawa - Shikishima
 * Mizuhara Kiko - Mikasa
 * Kanata Hongō - Armin
 * Takahiro Miura - Jean
 * Nanami Sakuraba - Sasha
 * Satoru Matsuo - Sannagi
 * Shū Watanabe - Fukushi
 * Ayame Misaki - Hiana
 * Rina Takeda - Lil
 * Satomi Ishihara - Hans
 * Pierre Taki - Souda
 * Jun Kunimura - Kubal
 * Kamio Yu - Yunohira

Production Companies

 * Kodansha
 * Licri
 * Nikkatsu
 * Toho Company
 * Toho Pictures

Distributed by

 * Toho Company

Special Effects

 * Nishimura Motion Picture Model Makers Group

Trivia

 * Tetsuya Nakashima was originally selected to direct the film, with a public announcement on December 8, 2011. It was announced by December, 2012 that Tetsuya Nakashima has dropped out of the project due to creative differences. On December 4, 2013 a public announcement was made that the movie project will begin again with Shinji Higuchi as the film's director.
 * The theme songs of the movie are Anti-Hero and SOS, both by Sekai no Owari.
 * The film has been written fully in Japanese.
 * The Wilhem scream is present in one scene when a man gets grabbed.
 * Several Titans, mostly the mindless ones, were played by actual people on a green screen, with makeup and special effects to make them appear more menacing. Titans, such as the Colossal Titan and quite possibly the Mysterious Titan, were constructed and operated by the crew.

​External Links

 * Official English website
 * Official Japanese website
 * Attack on Titan Live Action Movie on IMDB

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L'Attaque des Titans (Live-Action)