Fullmetal Alchemist, the story that refuses to die, will not stop until it’s inhabited every entertainment medium known to man, twice. Inspired by the original manga from Arakawa Hiromu, the journey of two brothers in a fantastical world has been chronicled multiple times in animated form, to rapturous praise by many, and critical side-eyes by a few. We imagine the same will be the case when their latest incarnation, in the form of this new live-action film, comes to the big screen this December.

I haven’t seen more than a few episodes of the anime years ago (shut up, I know) but, at the very least, the film looks visually striking. The effects work is far beyond what I’d expected to see, and the scenery and costumes are all lovely. Apparently, the complete original story from the comic series is condensed in this film, so I’ll leave others to judge how effectively this is done. But I know I’d be enticed to see it if I were a random non-fan who had just stumbled across it. Whether it would prove worth the hype remains to be seen.

Directed by Sori Fumihiko (Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker), the live-action film stars Yamada Ryosuke as lead hero Edward Elric, and Mizuishi Atomu whom Garo fans may know as Makai Knight Crow, via the voice and motion capture performance for hulking CG character Alphonse Elric.

Fullmetal Alchemist hits Japanese theaters December 1, 2017.