If you’re feeling burned out on zombies after the rage-inducing anticlimax of The Walking Dead season finale, then we have just the thing for you: Project Itoh: Empire of Corpses. The forthcoming anime film is a twisted piece of alt-history steampunk mayhem, brought to life by Wit Studio, the animation house behind Attack on Titan and Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress. The film takes place in an alternate version of 19th century London, where the Industrial Revolution also brought along technology with which to resurrect the dead as an army of mindless laborers. However, things take a turn for the deadly when medical student John Watson becomes embroiled in a mad quest to find the long-lost research notes of Dr. Victor Frankenstein—the only man ever to imbue a revived corpse with a human soul. Take a peek at the undead awesomeness for yourself in our exclusive clip of Project Itoh: Empire of Corpses above.
Here’s the official synopsis:
“From the studio that produced Attack on Titan comes a captivating historical action thriller based on a Phillip K. Dick Award winning novel by Project Itoh. In an alternate version of 19th century London, the world has been revolutionized by ‘corpse reanimation technology’ creating armies of undead who serve the living as laborers across the globe.
In an attempt to revive his dearly departed friend, young medical student John Watson becomes obsessed with replicating the work of Dr. Victor Frankenstein—the legendary corpse engineer whose research produced the only re-animated corpse to possess a soul. But when his illegal experiments put him at odds with the British government, Watson is drafted into a worldwide race to find the lost research notes of Victor Frankenstein before the secrets of the human soul fall into the wrong hands.”
Project Itoh: Empire of Corpses opens in select theaters on April 19-20. Find a theater near you right here.
Want even more awesome anime to watch this spring? Here’s 9 new series!
Images: Funimation/Studio Wit
Dan Casey is the senior editor of Nerdist and the author of books about Star Wars and the Avengers. Follow him on Twitter (@Osteoferocious) and ask him about anime.
