Black Butler: Shards of Hope

Black Butler: Shards of Hope, also known as Black Butler III, is the third installment in the Black Butler (Live Action Film Series)

Plot
Late at night, a man is running through the snowy streets of London, the man, named Tim, is being chased by 3 men who are after an valuable ring they stole. Tim stops on the London Bridge when he hears someone singing 'London Bridge is Falling Down', the man singing says that the ring is searching for a worthy holder, and Tim does not fit the description, before killing Tim and dropping him into the River Thames.

The next day, Ciel is at the frozen River Thames with Sebastian for the River Thames Frost Fair. Lizzie is also there with her maid, Paula, searching for a present for Ciel's upcoming birthday, to make up for smashing Ciel's ring a week ago. While searching the Fair, Ciel notices a toy arc, which he realises is a knockoff of a matching boat made by his toy company that he and Lizzie used to play with when they were kids. Ciel encounters Inspector Abberline at the fair, who says he's on duty, Abberline and Ciel discuss Abberline's case over a cup of tea at Lau's stall, Abberline mentions how Tim's corpse was found in the River Thames and Scotland Yard wishes to find the killer and recover a ring that was stolen, a red diamond similar to Ciel's family ring, the ring is said to be a 'Hope Piece', a cursed gemstone said to bring destruction to the owner, past owners including Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette.

Meanwhile, Lizzie and Paula are still searching for a gift for Ciel. Ciel, Sebastian, Abberline and Lau find a stall owned by the Undertaker, after Abberline slips up that the Hope Piece is evidence in the Serial Kidnappings of Young Girls across London, Undertaker compares the Hope Piece to Ciel's Family Ring and says he knows where the Hope Piece is.

Lizzie and Paula are still searching for a gift for Ciel when Lizzie spots the toy arc and remembers the times she and Ciel used to play with his when they were kids.

Undertaker shows the others that the Hope Piece is on the hand of an ice sculptor of the queen, but the trio of thieves that were chasing Tim arrive and demand the Hope Piece for themselves and threaten to blow up the festival with dynamite, making everyone but Ciel and Sebastian run away. Under Ciel's orders, Sebastian, using ice skates, takes down the thieves, breaking the ice for the frost fest in the process and causing the queen statue to sink to the bottom of the thames, with the Hope Piece.

At her manor, Lizzie smashes the toy arc on the ground after her father told her it was a fake, finding the Hope Piece inside. The puppet like man from earlier is shown speaking and bowing to an unknown person, calling them his master.

A few days later, Lizzie arrives at Ciel's manor to give him the Hope Piece as a way of apologising for smashing his family ring a couple weeks prior, however, when Lizzie notices Ciel's ring on his finger, completely fixed, she quickly backs out of giving the gift to Ciel and decides to head home. Sebastian reminds Ciel that his birthday is tomorrow, which reminds Ciel that his parents died on his birthday, after which, Ciel was imprisoned by a mysterious cult and tortured. Ciel refuses to celebrate his birthday.

Meanwhile, Lizzie and Paula are caught in traffic while on their way home when Lizzie gets distracted by The Puppet Man playing the tune of 'London Bridge' from a music box hanging from his neck, when the man walks through an alley, Lizzie follows him and ends up at a toy shop, Lizzie talks to The Puppet Man and explains that she wishes to find a gift for Ciel, the man suggets giving Ciel something from the shop, Lizzie considers it, but decides that Ciel only deserves the best, The Puppet Man proclaims to know the perfect gift for Ciel, Lizzie herself.

Ciel is informed by Paula that Lizzie has went missing, Ciel is also given a letter by the Queen requesting to investigate the recent string of serial kidnappings of young girls, each of whom were given the Hope Piece, however, Ciel proclaims that Lizzie's safety is more important to him than his job.

The Puppet Man talks with his master, saying the 'newest doll' is nearly ready, and his master, reciting a line from London Bridge, instructs him to build it up with 'Wax and Stone'.

While riding in the carriage, Ciel orders Sebastian to question everyone who knew the victims. Ciel and Pluto arrive where Paula lost Lizzie. Ciel uses Pluto's sense of smell to track Lizzie, however, they end up encountering Grell Sutcliff again. Pluto leads Ciel to the toy shop where Lizzie went missing, and Ciel spots a doll in the window modelled after Lizzie, which even has her hair ribbon tied around the waist, Grell explains that the toy shop is owned by a deceased puppeteer called 'Drossel Keinz'. Through the back door, Ciel sees a large manor, Ciel makes a deal with Grell to convince him to search the manor with him, they enter the manor and immediately see a statue in the centre of the room, which bears a striking resemblence to one of the kidnapped girls, when Ciel tries to get a closer look, the girl attacks him, only for Grell to help Ciel, thinking the girl to be a doll, Grell moves in to attack, inspite Ciel's protests, Grell slices the girl's throat, when Ciel inspects the girl, he notices sawdust coming out of the cut, Ciel takes the Hope Piece on the girl's finger as Drossel enters singing London Bridge, complaining about the girl's weakness, due to being made with 'Wood and Clay', at which point, he summons several more dolls, which he made from 'Iron and Steel'. Ciel recognizes the dolls as more of the kidnapped girls, Grell rushes in to attack them, only for the dolls to overpower him. Ciel orders Grell and Pluto to keep the dolls busy while Ciel hunts for Lizzie.

As Ciel heads upstairs, he is sure the positive that the dolls are the kidnapped girls, and gets worried for Lizzie. When Ciel reaches the next floor, Drossel claims that he will make Ciel into a doll made from 'Silver and Gold'. Ciel runs to another room as Drossel's singing taunts him, when Ciel enters the other room, he spots a symbol on the ground that perfectly matches the symbol that was branded onto him by the cult that tortured him after his parents died. Ciel is encountered by Sebastian.

Meanwhile, Lizzie remembers the time Ciel disappeared after his parents died and he came back with his eyepatch and Sebastian. Lizzie remarks that she wishes to see Ciel smile again, before moving her head in the same puppet like manner of Drossel.

Ciel and Sebastian talk for a bit, before hearing Drossel's singing and more dolls enter the room, Sebastian realises they are controlled by the song and starts singing that 'Iron and Steel will Bend and Bow', which stops the dolls, allowing Sebastian to eliminate them. As Sebastian suggets retreat, Drossel arrives and comments about Ciel's ring being another Hope Piece, a token Drossel's master sends to everyone who are destined to become dolls. Drossel claims to make Ciel into a doll of Silver and Gold, but Sebastian escapes with Ciel after commenting about how Silver and Gold would get 'Stolen Away'.

When Ciel and Sebastian are out of the manor, Ciel punches Sebastian in the face for leaving Lizzie in the manor, Sebastian talks about how Ciel's life is his number one priority. Ciel puts the Hope Piece he took from the first doll on his finger, intending to use himself as bait. Sebastian says that he searched the manor from top to bottom, but never found Lizzie. Pluto's howl catches Ciel and Sebastian's attention, and they head to Pluto and Grell's location, outside a large tower next to the manor. Sebastian orders Pluto to find a way to open the door, at which point, Pluto's collar and the door both proceed to glow before the door opened and Pluto runs inside.

Ciel, Sebastian and Grell search the tower before finding a workshop, with Lizzie sitting in a chair in the corner. Lizzie wakes up and asks Ciel if he liked his present, before Drossel's voice is heard again, and he makes Lizzie attack Ciel with an axe. Grell proceeds to attack Lizzie, making her drop to the ground, Ciel attempts to kill Grell, until Sebastian reveals Grell only cut the marionette strings controlling Lizzie's movements. Drossel, standing in the rafters, uses more puppet strings to tie up Ciel, Sebastian and Grell, but is distracted when Sebastian asks what materials Drossel is made from, the distraction allows Sebastian to knock Drossel unconscious, and sawdust spills from Drossel's head, meaning he was a doll too. Grell explains that Drossel's soul was collected 5 years prior, but signs of his existence were still detected. Sebastian realises that Drossel was fitted with a temporary soul. Lizzie comes too, and tells Ciel that she wishes to throw him a birthday party, which Ciel agrees to.

Drossel gets back up and slowly walks into another room where his master is with Pluto. Drossel drops dead on the floor as Ciel, Sebastian and Grell run to the front of the throne to see who Drossel's master is, but find nothing but a small marionette. As Ciel picks up the puppet, its face turns evil and it runs away on it's own.

The next day, at the manor, Ciel celebrates his birthday at the party Lizzie threw for him, as Ciel bites into the birthday cake Sebastian made, he finds the Hope Piece in the cake.

Late at night, the marionette arrives at London Bridge and is picked up by an unidentified individual, who proceeds to crush the marionette and throw it in the Thames.

Cast

 * Dylan O'Brien as Ciel Phantomhive
 * Cameron Boyce as Young Ciel
 * Tom Hiddleston as Sebastian Michaelis
 * Skyler Day as Lizzie Midford
 * David Tennant as Drossel Keinz/The Puppet Man
 * Willem DaFoe as Grell Sutcliff
 * Rhys Ifans as Inspector Fred Abberline
 * Lea Michelle as Paula
 * Ben McKenzie as Bardroy
 * Morena Baccarin as Mei Rin
 * James Franco as Finnian
 * Patrick Stewart as Tanaka
 * Aaron Yoo as Lau
 * Brenda Song as Ran-Mau
 * Tim Curry as The Undertaker
 * Andrew Garfield as Tim
 * Jeremy Renner as Thief #1
 * Matt Smith as Thief #2
 * James Spader as Thief #3
 * Dove Cameron as 'Wood and Clay' Doll
 * Allisyn Ashley Arm, Peyton List, Kelly Gould, Maia Mitchell, Lulu Antariksa, Abigail Breslin, G Hannelius, Francesca Capaldi, Meaghan Martin & Bella Thorne also star as the 'Iron and Steel' dolls

[[Category:R]]