The live action Blood: The Last Vampire film, which is based on the award-winning Production I.G. anime, will receive a sneak preview at Wizard World Philadelphia on Friday, June 19th at 7pm in Room 201A.  The live action film, which stars the Korean actress Gianni as Saya the youthful-looking slayer of the vampire-like Chiropterans, is the most recent iteration of this popular property, which began as a 48-minute anime produced in 2000, and also includes a light novel adaptation (by Mamoru Oshii), a manga, a video game, and the 2005 50-episode anime series Blood +.

Chris Nahon (Kiss of the Dragon) directed the live action film, which, according to the Dark Diamond Website, will debut in the U.S. in just nine theaters on July 10th.  Of course if the film does well in that limited showing, it will expand to other venues, but the uncertainty of the film’s theatrical prospects makes the sneak preview at Wizard World even more attractive, especially since the trailer for the film has been viewed more than 210,000 times on YouTube alone.

Among the other highlights at Wizard World Philadelphia will be the appearances by three members of the cast of Battlestar Galactica including Edgar James Olmos (Admiral Adama), Nicki Clyne (Cally Henderson Tyrol), and Michael Hogan (Colonel Saul Tigh).  Other major media figures in attendance will include Kristanna Loken (Terminator 3), Ray Park (Star Wars Episode 1), Emma Caulfield (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Yancy Butler (Witchblade), and Doug Jones (Hellboy).

Among the numerous comic book luminaries set to attend are Guest of Honor Garth Ennis (The Boys), Steve Dillon (Wolverine Origins), and Dan Didio (DC Comics Senior V.P. and Executive Editor), who will speak at two panels.