Production on the live-action adaptation of "Fullmetal Alchemist" has begun in Italy, as revealed in new photos posted by Italian news site La Nazione. The film is directed by Fumihiko Sori ("Ichi," "Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker"). Hey! Say! JUMP and NYC member Ryosuke Yamada, who starred in "Assassination Classroom," is set to play Edward.

Anime News Network's report notes that filming began in Italy and will wrap up in Japan in late August. The film will open in Japan in winter 2017.

ANN also has a quote from director Fumihiko Sori about the film's faithfulness to the source material. "I want to create a style that follows the original manga as much as possible. The cast is entirely Japanese, but the cultural background is Europe. However, it's a style that doesn't represent a specific race or country," said Sori. And while the cast is entirely Japanese, the source material has characters of non-Japanese ethnicity. Sori addressed this, saying, "There will never be a scene in which a character says something that would identify him/her as Japanese."

Set in an alternate Edwardian-era world where alchemy is a science, and State Alchemists work for the government, "Fullmetal Alchemist" centers on the Elric brothers, who attempt to perform the forbidden human transmutation to resurrect their dead mother. After the transmutation backfires, severely injuring Edward and destroying Alphonse's body, Edward sacrifices his arm to rescue his brother's soul and bind it to a suit of armor. Edward becomes a State Alchemist, and the two set off in search of a philosopher's stone to restore their bodies.

The film, which will shoot from June to August in Italy, will rely heavily on CGI to create elements such as Alphonse's armor. "Fullmetal Alchemist" is targeted for release in Japan next year.