News
2nd Live-Action Gintama Film Brings Back Ryō Yoshizawa as Sougo Okita
posted on by Karen Ressler
The official Twitter account for the upcoming sequel film Gintama 2 (Kari) (Gintama 2 (Working Title)) announced on Thursday that Ryō Yoshizawa is returning from the first film to play Sougo Okita. The staff are revealing a new cast member every day from May 22 until May 26.
Previously announced returning cast members include (from left to right in top row in picture below) Shun Oguri as Gintoki Sakata, Masaki Suda as Shinpachi Shimura, and Kanna Hashimoto as Kagura, as well as (bottom row) Masami Nagasawa as Tae Shimura and Masaki Okada as Kotarō Katsura. The character Elizabeth (bottom row right) is also returning, but the site has not specified if Takayuki Yamada is returning for the role
Other returning cast members include Tsuyoshi Muro as Gengai Hiraga and Kankurō Nakamura as Isao Kondo. Midoriko Kimura is playing Otose.
Jirō Satō (seen in picture below) is also returning, but in a different role. Sato previously played the character Takechi Henpeita in the first film.
The film opens in Japan on August 17.
The first film opened in Japan last July, and it earned 980 million yen (US$8.9 million) in its first four days. The film also inspired a live-action net show that debuted on Docomo's dTV streaming service one day after the film's opening. The film had its Canadian premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival last July, and Azoland Pictures screened the film in the United States and Canada starting on January 19.
Well Go USA released the first film on DVD, Blu-ray Disc and DVD combo pack, and Digital HD on March 6.
Hideaki Sorachi began the manga in 2004, and it has more than 55 million copies in print in Japan as of February. Viz Media published the first 23 volumes in English. Shueisha published the manga's 72nd volume on March 2, and will publish the 73rd volume on June 4. The manga reached the "climax" of its final arc in February.
Sources: Gintama film's Twitter, Comic Natalie
