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Anchor Bay Adds Live-Action Battle Royale 3D in U.S.
posted on by Jacob Browning
Anchor Bay Entertainment obtained the American distribution rights for the stereoscopic 3D version of the live-action film Battle Royale during this week's American Film Market. Anchor Bay is planning a 2011 release for this new version, which will open in Japan on November 20. Kenta Fukasaku, the son of the film's late director Kinji Fukasaku, oversaw the 3D conversion; the younger Fukasaku had directed the sequel, Battle Royale II: Requiem.
According to Toei, Anchor Bay paid the highest amount that any Toei title has ever received for the sale of rights. Anchor Bay Entertainment will also distribute the Battle Royale II: Requiem sequel in the United States in its original 2D format. The Cinema Today website reported that 50 companies from 13 regions (including the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Russia, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Switzerland, and Indonesia) expressed interest in Battle Royale 3D.
Battle Royale first opened in Japan in 2000 but did not have a full American theatrical release at the time, in part due to the aftermath of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in Colorado. The film did get DVD releases in Great Britain, Hong Kong, and other regions at the time.
Source: Cinema Today via Tokyograph
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