Sato Shinsuke is gearing up for a hefty summer round at the festivals with the concurrent Japan release of the live-action adaptation, BLEACH. Warner Bros. Japan is rolling out a final trailer this week ahead of a July 20 open and with screenings setting up at Fantasia in Montreal, and at Japan Cuts in New York City where Sato will be in attendance for fans. The following info beneath the new Japanese poster art comes from Japan Cuts where the film will have its U.S. premiere on July 27.
The highly anticipated live-action adaptation of the mega popular Tite Kubo manga and anime series about the adventures of supernaturally gifted, orange-haired teenager Ichigo Kurosaki (Sota Fukushi). Capable of seeing spirits, Ichigo meets a “Soul Reaper” (shinigami) by the name of Rukia Kuchiki (Hana Sugisaki), who transfers her powers to him after being injured by an evil spirit known as a “Hollow.” Under Rukia’s guidance, Ichigo trains to harness his newfound Soul Reaper abilities in the battle against Hollows while Rukia does her best to fit in as a human high school girl. Skillfully directed by Shinsuke Sato (I Am a Hero, GANTZ) with state-of-the-art CGI and a stellar cast, BLEACH raises the bar high for live-action manga adaptations.
It took quite a while but the promotional rollout of this latest induction from Sato, who also hails the summer festival crowd with Inuyashiki, also brings a fuller, more visible cast list to the live-action realm of BLEACH that includes the raft of warriors and mystics that entail this inaugural venture. Provided it measures accordingly I’d say a sequel would be great to see spawn after this.
