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Sword Art Online Ordinal Scale Film to Open in 2017 (Updated)

The staff of the upcoming Sword Art Online anime film announced at the Dengeki Bunko Haru no Saiten 2016 event on Sunday that the film's title is Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale and it will open in Japan in 2017.

The event additionally revealed more details about the film. "Ordinal Scale" is the name of a game after "Sword Art Online" and "Gun Gale Online." The game uses a new augmented reality device called "Augma," and the game was made specifically for the device. The game has a unique feature where players can raise their rank by defeating monsters and using items.

The event also confirmed that Yoshitsugu Matsuoka will return to play Kirito, and Haruka Tomatsu will return to play Asuna. Yuki Kajiura will return to compose the film's soundtrack. The event also revealed a new visual (below) and character designs, both drawn by abec.

The film's all-new original story will take place after the Mother's Rosario arc, which was the final arc depicted in the TV anime's second season.

The Mother's Rosario arc in Reki Kawahara's original light novel series covers volume 7 of the series. The second half of the anime's second season also covered the Calibur arc, which took place in volume 8 of the light novel series, but aired in the second season before the Mother's Rosario arc.

Kawahara is writing a new story for the film. Tomohiko Ito is returning from the two TV anime series and the anime special to direct the film at A-1 Pictures. Shingo Adachi is also returning from the TV anime to design the characters.

Kawahara's Sword Art Online light novel series inspired two TV anime series in 2012 and 2014, as well as the Sword Art Online: Extra Edition TV special in 2013. The franchise also includes several manga adaptations and spinoffs and three video games. A fourth video game will ship in 2016.

Image via Dengeki Online

Update: Cast, staff, story information, key visual added.