‘Kingdom’ Live-Action Film Releases Poster, Release Date

Yasuhira Hara’s Kingdom will soon be getting a live-action adaptation, and fans can’t wait to see the final film when it premieres in Japan. Along with the new trailer for the adaptation, the film unveiled its first poster, cast, and release date.

When can fans expect to see the new film for themselves? Kingdom is currently scheduled to release April 19, 2019 in Japan.

Filming for the adaptation began earlier this year in China, and many of the character names will be reflecting their Japanese interpretations as the original series gives everyone Chinese names. But fans shouldn’t worry too much about the upcoming film as it is directed by Shinsuke Sato, director of the live-action Gantz, I Am A Hero, Inuyashiki, and most recently, Bleach.

The series once even had a brief venture into live-action with a short film celebrating its tenth anniversary some time ago. It was such a hit with fans that Kento Yamazaki, who starred as Shin in the short, returns for the full film adaptation. The rest of the cast includes:

• Kanna Hashimoto as Ka Ryo Ten
• Ryo Yoshizawa as Ei Sei
• Masahiro Takashima as Sho Bun Kun
• Shinnosuke Mitsushima as Heki
• Masami Nagasawa as Yo Tanwa
• Shinnosuke Abe as Bajio
• Wataru Ichinose as Tajifu
• Takao Osawa as O ki
• Jun Kaname as Tou
• Kanata Hongo as Seikyo
• Renji Ishibashi as Ketsu Shi
• Masaya Kato as Shi Shi
• Takashi Ukaji as Gi Kou
• Yasushi Ami as Rankai
• Motoki Fukami as Jo Kan
• Jun Hashimoto as Muta
• Tak Sakaguchi as Sa Ji

Kingdom was created by Yasuhira Hara for Shueisha’s Weekly Young Jump in 2006. The story is set in China during the Warring States period and follows two orphans named Ri Shin and Hyou. When the latter dies, Shin finds himself involved in a conspiracy which allows him to join the army. Shin dreams of becoming the world’s greatest general, and the hero tries to do so by helping Ei Sei of Quin unify China before its internal conflicts split it apart. The series has been collected into 48 volumes, and was adapted into an anime series that ran for two seasons from 2013 to 2014, and has been adapted for an English language release by Funimation.