Set photos of Ichigo and Renji battling it out in the streets of Karakura Town, along with the casting of Byakuya Kuchiki had some fans fearing that the live-action adaptation from WB Japan might rush things in order to get to the most popular and well-received arc of Tite Kubo's manga, the Soul Society arc.
However, it appears that's not the case. Speaking on set with Cinema Today, Hiroyoshi Koi stated that the Soul Society arc is where he'd like to take things for the sequel. "I want to do the Soul Society arc. After all, if the first one succeeds, you can spend more money and time on the second to present a bigger sequel to the world. It would be a good thing for the franchise."
It would certainly require a large budget to recreate the Seireitei and depict all of the amazing abilities of the Captains and Vice-Captains. If the Bleach film proves to be a hit, a sequel is almost assured. But what about a continuation of the anime? Fans can only dream...