
Director Yukihiko Tsutsumi’s ’20th Century Boys’ movie trilogy has officially revealed its heroine. Toho announced on Sunday that the role of Kanna, the niece of the protagonist Kenji (Toshiaki Karasawa), will be played by 23-year-old actress Airi Taira, who was selected by audition from a pool of around 3,000 hopefuls.
Although Kanna’s part in the first movie is minor, she plays a critical role in bridging the first two films and in the rest of the trilogy.
The first installment opens on August 30, and the second is lined up for January 31, 2009.
Boasting an impressive cast of A-list actors, this is a big step for Airi and one that will hopefully take her acting career to the next level. She’s blogged about it here (image above is of her official blog) and you can learn more about the flick here as well as the official website.