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Amazon: Sword Art Online Movie Opens on February 18

The Japanese arm of online retailer Amazon is listing a ticket/poster bundle for the Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale for release on February 3, 2017. According to the listing, the movie itself will open throughout Japan on February 18. Amazon is also listing a six-disc Blu-ray Disc box for the Sword Art Online anime on January 25, 2017.

At Sunday's "Dengeki Bunko Aki no Saiten 2016" event, Dengeki is distributing bags that still list a Spring 2017 release for the movie. Some anime — notably the Precure franchise — have listed February launch dates as "Spring."

The film will play in about 1,000 theaters worldwide. The film is set to open in 150 theaters in Japan, and Aniplex of America confirmed the film's overseas release.

Aniplex describes the movie's story:

In 2026, two years since the SAO incident, a new game called "Ordinal Scale," an Augmented-Reality MMO, is becoming popular among the players. But…strange things are happening in the game and Kirito and the gang are facing a new danger. A brand new story created by the original author, Reki Kawahara and directed by Tomohiko Ito, "Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale-" is coming to theaters in Spring 2017.

Character designer Shingo Adachi drew a visual:

The film's returning cast includes:

• Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Kirito
• Haruka Tomatsu as Asuna
• Rina Hidaka as Silica
• Ayahi Takagaki as Lisbeth
• Miyuki Sawashiro as Sinon
• Hiroaki Hirata as Klein

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. Original light novel author Reki 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 based on abec's original character designs, and Yuki Kajiura is returning to score the music.

[Via Yaraon!]