Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine has finally confirmed that Tite Kubo's hit shonen manga series, "Bleach," is getting a live action film adaptation. The news, which originally circulated among Japanese message boards, will officially be announced on Aug. 22, the day the manga's 38th and last volume will be released. Kubo had initially teased an "important announcement" for "Bleach" in the series' 36th and 37th issues.
Slated to premiere in Japan in 2018, Anime News Network revealed the "Bleach" live action adaptation will star Sota Fukushi (Kamen Rider, Library Wars, Enoshima Prism) as Ichigo Kurosaki, the flame-haired protagonist who gets entangled in the world of Hollows when he obtains shinigami (soul reaper) powers from Rukia Kuchiki.
Accompanying Ichigo and Rukia in their adventures in the Soul Society are Inoue Orihime, Uryu Ishida and Yasutora "Chad" Sado, Ichigo's classmates from the fictional town of Karakura. While there is no official word yet as to who the other cast members are in the "Bleach" live action adaptation, according to Otaku Mode, Shinsuke Sato (Gantz, Oblivion Island, Death Note: Light Up the New World) will be the one directing the film.
The "Bleach" manga series, originally published in 2001, entered its final story arc in February 2012. The series was such a hit that it inspired an anime adaptation that ran for 366 episodes (2004-2012), four anime movies, a series of novels and several video games. "Bleach" also had a series of stage musical adaptations (Rock Musical Bleach), which began in 2005 and ended early August this year.
Viz Media acquired the rights to distribute the manga in North America, as well as television and home video rights to the anime. The "Bleach" anime series debuted on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim in 2006. Just this year, Viz Media announced that it will release the anime series on Blu-ray.
