An anime film adaptation of Sword Art Online Progressive has been announced for release in 2021. The film adapts the “Aria of a Starless Night” story from volume 1 of the SAO Progressive light novels. An anime project adapting SAO Progressive was announced back in September, with no new information until now. Sword Art Online: Progressive is a reboot of the Aincrad arc from the original light novels. There are currently 6 volumes in print. The light novels are licensed for release in English by Yen Press.
You can check out a new trailer (both with and without English subtitles) for the movie below.
Japanese Trailer via Twitter (Video on YouTube is region-locked)
《閃光》と《黒の剣士》の出会いの物語
『劇場版 ソードアート・オンライン プログレッシブ 星なき夜のアリア』
2021年公開決定！
公式サイト：https://t.co/GH3mfREDHK
特報第1弾：https://t.co/XqrKNxuDQh#sao_anime pic.twitter.com/rkNwiFdTfk— アニメ ソードアート・オンライン 公式 (@sao_anime) November 8, 2020
English-subbed Trailer via SAO Wikia and Gamerturk
The film’s staff is as follows:
- Production: A-1 Pictures
- Original Work: Reki Kawahara
- Original Illustration / Character Design: abec
- Director: Ayako Kawano
- Character Design: Kento Toya
- Action Director: Yasuyuki Kai
- Music: Yuki Kaijura
The cast announced is as follows:
- Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Kirito / Kazuto Kirigaya
- Haruka Tomatsu as Asuna / Asuna Yuuki
Yen press describes SAO Progressive volume 1 as follows:
“There’s no way to beat this game. The only difference is when and where you die…”
One month has passed since Akihiko Kayaba’s deadly game began, and the body count continues to rise. Two thousand players are already dead.
Kirito and Asuna are two very different people, but they both desire to fight alone. Nonetheless, they find themselves drawn together to face challenges from both within and without. Given that the entire virtual world they now live in has been created as a deathtrap, the surviving players of Sword Art Online are starting to get desperate, and desperation makes them dangerous to loners like Kirito and Asuna. As it becomes clear that solitude equals suicide, will the two be able to overcome their differences to find the strength to believe in each other, and in so doing survive?
Sword Art Online: Progressive is a new version of the Sword Art Online tale that starts at the beginning of Kirito and Asuna’s epic adventure–on the very first level of the deadly world of Aincrad!
Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night is scheduled to release sometime in 2021. You can check out its official website HERE.
SOURCE: Sword Art Online Anime Official Twitter
