Kamen Rider Den-O's Takeru Satoh to star with Ryōmaden director Keishi Ōtomo
22-year-old actor Takeru Satoh (Kamen Rider Den-O, Rookies, Beck, Ryōmaden) will star in a live-action film adaptation of Nobuhiro Watsuki's Rurouni Kenshin samurai manga for next year. Keishi Ōtomo will direct Satoh on this new film, just as he did in last year's NHK television series Ryōmaden.
Sankei Sports adds that the staff aims to release the film internationally and eventually make a series. This will be the first live-action adaptation of the manga.
Producer Shinzō Matsuhashi commented, "Satoh has the looks and stature to be a proper Kenshin." Watsuki added when this project was just starting, he and his wife were discussing who should play Kenshin, and decided that Satoh topped the list.
Nobuhiro Watsuki's original 1994-1999 manga ran in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine and the resulting 28 compiled books volumes have 50 million copies in print. The manga inspired a television anime series that is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. Viz Media published the manga in North America, and Media Blasters' AnimeWorks label released the television anime.
ADV Films released two later original video anime projects and a film on DVD, and Aniplex is releasing these three titles on Blu-ray Disc this year. in April, Shueisha announced that a new Rurouni Kenshin anime project has been green-lit.