The live-action adaptation of Tite Kubo's Bleach manga from WB Japan is set for release overseas on July 20. A North American limited theatrical run has yet to be announced but seems fairly likely.
While the popularity of the series waned in later years, the series still has a sizable fanbase even to this day. Combined with the nostalgia factor, turnout in the U.S. for the film would likely be better than most Japanese-imports.
Below, several stills from the adaptation have surfaced from the Japanese website,
cinemacafe.net. The visuals reveal that the film will be exploring the explosive first encounter between Renji (Taichi Saotome ) and Ichigo (Sota Fukushi) as depicted in the manga and anime. However, there's a small change being made as revealed in the photos.
Renji and Ichigo's first battle in Karakura town originally occurred at night in the anime, whereas the stills reveal that the two will be fighting it out during the day in the Shinsuke Sato directed pic.