A live-action "Bleach" movie is currently in the works, starring Sota Fukushi. The "Bleach" movie is scheduled to launch sometime in 2018 in Japan with Shinsuke Sato serving as director.
The 38th issue of Weekly Shonen Jump Magazine by Shueisha revealed on Aug. 15, 2016 that the "Bleach" manga series by Tite Kubo will be given the live-action movie treatment. SotaFukushi will take on the leading role of Ichigo Kuroski.
The recent magazine issue also published the final chapter of "Bleach." The previous issue, which was a combination of the 36th and 37th, hinted on August 8 that the next edition will include an important announcement, which was subsequently revealed to be the live-action "Bleach" movie.
Sota Fukushi previously appeared in the live-action films "ToshokanSenso/Library Wars," Strobe Edge," "Kami-sama no luToori." Director Shinsuke Sato previously worked on the live-action films "Gantz" and "Gantz II: Perfect Answer" and the anime movie "Oblivion Island." Considering the experience of both star and director, the "Bleach" live-action movie expected to feature a deep storyline and engaging set of characters.
Anime News Network reported that "Bleach" reached its final story arc in February 2012. The 73rd volume, which was published on July 4, of the manga series stated that the next one will be the last. Tite Kubo released "Bleach" in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2001, while Viz Media published the manga in North America digitally in English. New chapters were published in Japan. "Bleach" was adapted for television, resulting to 366 episodes that ran from 2004 to 2012.
In 2006, Viz Media acquired the television and home video rights to the series. In the same year, "Bleach" premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, which continued until 2014. The TV anime series was launched in Blu-ray with the initial volume shipping in July 2016. The series has become quite famous around the globe through the years, with fans requesting a live-action "Bleach" film to cap off its success.
To date, four "Bleach" anime movies, various video games, stage musical presentations and a series of novels have been spawned by the popular franchise. The official release date has yet to be announced. More updates and details on the "Bleach" live-action movie are expected soon.
