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Funimation Screens Live-Action Kingdom Film in N. America in Summer
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
Funimation Films announced on Tuesday that it has licensed and will screen the live-action film of Yasuhisa Hara's Kingdom manga in the United States and Canada this summer. The theatrical release will have English subtitles.
TOHO teased the North American release with an English-subtitled trailer in March. To promote the North American opening of the film, lead actor Kento Yamazaki paid a courtesy call to Laine Kline, head of Sony Pictures International Productions.
The film opened in Japan on April 19 and sold 506,861 tickets to earn 690,219,500 yen (about US$6.17 million) in its first three days from Friday through Sunday. The film ranked at #2 for the Saturday-Sunday weekend. TOHO is aiming for the film to earn 4 billion yen (about US$35.7 million).
Shinsuke Satō (live-action Gantz, Death Note Light up the NEW world, Bleach) directed the film. Sony Pictures Japan produced the film. ONE OK ROCK performed the theme song "Wasted Nights" for the film.
Yamazaki reprised his role as protagonist Shin (Xin) from the manga's earlier live-action short.
Hara's historical manga centers around the slave boy Xin and his dream of becoming a great general for the state of Qin. Xin helps Ying Zheng, the young Qin king who shares his desire to unify China, rise to power within the state. Xin does all he can to become a superior commander of an army capable of defeating the Seven Warring States.
The record-setting manga launched in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump magazine in 2006. Shueisha published the 52nd volume on October 19. Hara said he is considering writing up to 100 volumes. A television anime adaptation premiered in 2012, and a second season premiered in 2013. Funimation streamed the series in North America and released both anime on DVD in 2016.
Source: Press release
