Overview
Two alchemist brothers attempt to revive their dead mother using forbidden alchemy, losing their bodies in the process. They seek the Philosopher's Stone to restore what was taken. Based on Hiromu Arakawa's manga.
Released in 2017, Fullmetal Alchemist was directed by Fumihiko Sori and produced under the Warner Bros. Japan banner. The film occupies a significant place within the Independent — telling a self-contained story outside of shared-continuity superhero franchises.
The film features lead performances from Ryosuke Yamada, Tsubasa Honda, Dean Fujioka, among others, anchoring a story that adapts characters first brought to life in Manga. Its source material gives the film a foundation rooted in decades of published storytelling, which Sori and the creative team interpret through a cinematic lens.
The film's 6.2 audience rating indicates a mixed response. Even so, it holds interest as part of the broader Independent catalogue and for how it fits into the lineage of Manga-based cinema.
Principal Cast
Trivia & Facts
Fullmetal Alchemist released in 2017, placing it within the 2010s era of comic book cinema — a decade that saw superhero films become the dominant force at the global box office.
Directed by Fumihiko Sori, the film was produced by Warner Bros. Japan and adapts source material from Manga.
The principal cast features Ryosuke Yamada and Tsubasa Honda, with key supporting roles played by Dean Fujioka, Yasuko Matsuyuki.
The film belongs to Independent — an independent / standalone production, not tied to a shared cinematic universe.
Fullmetal Alchemist carries an audience rating of 6.2 — a middling reception but one that hasn't prevented its cultural footprint.
The Manga source material for Fullmetal Alchemist has been in continuous publication for decades, giving filmmakers a rich well of storylines, character arcs, and iconography to draw upon.
Modern superhero films like this one use a mix of practical effects and digital VFX, with entire sequences often shot against volume walls or LED stages pioneered by shows like The Mandalorian.
Fullmetal Alchemist is catalogued on Movies on Comics among our collection of 163 comic book films spanning 48 years of cinema — from Richard Donner's 1978 Superman to the present day.