Japan’s Gaga Corporation will handle international sales, excluding Japan and North America, of Warner Brothers Pictures Japan production Rurouni Kenshin.

Directed by Keishi Otomo (The Vulture), Rurouni Kenshin is set in the mid-19th century at the outset of the Meiji era. The story follows former sword-wielding assassin Kenshin as he wanders the countryside helping those in need to atone for his past atrocities.

The film stars popular TV actor Takeru Satoh as Kenshin in his second major film role since rock band drama Beck. Satoh’s profile continues to rise with a recently announced starring role in Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s upcoming Day Of The Perfect Plesiosaur. Co-starring in Rurouni Kenshin are Emi Takei (Cannes midnight title For Love’s Sake), Yu Aoi, Teruyuki Kagawa and Yosuke Eguchi.

Warner opens Rurouni Kenshin across Japan on the busy August 25 weekend against Prometheus and 2011 Korean megahit Arrow: The Ultimate Weapon. The studio remains the most active among Hollywood studios in Japan in local production.

Nobuhiro Watsuki’s original manga series, which ran from 1994 to 1999, has sold over 57 million copies and inspired both animated TV series and features, video games and short novels. The manga and animation releases are also strong sellers in the US, Europe and South America. Gaga and Warner are hoping the high awareness of the franchise will push sales of this first live-action adaptation.

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