Lupin the Third set for live-action adaptation

After several decades, Lupin the Third is coming to the big screen once again in a live-action adaptation set for release next year. Kitamura Ryuhei, who also directed the 2003 assassin adventure AZUMI, is set to direct. Oguri Shun will star in the title role as Lupin III, the grandson of legendary gentleman thief Arsène Lupin from French novelist Maurice LeBlancs series of novels. [hit the jump to continue]

The master thief's right hand man and expert marksman Daisuke Jigen will be played by Tetsuji Tamayama, Ayano Go plays accomplice and master swordsman Goemon Ishikawa and Space Battle Ship Yamato's Meisa Kuroki has the role of femme-fatale Fujiko. Inspector Zenigata, the detective forever on the heels of the criminal group is Tadanobu Asano, who starred in Ichi the Killer and has appeared in recent Hollywood fare Battleship and Thor.

The first Lupin manga was published in 1967 and has continued to be hugely popular, spawning numerous anime, manga, films and games. The adventures of the master thief have already been converted into a live action film back in 1974, but the most famous big screen version, certainly outside of Japan, is The Castle of Cagliostro, the first feature film of Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki.