The August issue of Shueisha's Jump Square magazine is announcing on Thursday that two new live-action Rurouni Kenshin films have been green-lit for next summer. The films will cover the Kyoto arc of Nobuhiro Watsuki's original manga — specifically, the Great Kyoto Fire and Legend's End storylines. Takeru Satoh (Kamen Rider Den-O, Rookies, Beck) is reprising his starring role as Kenshin Himura.

Keishi Ōtomo ( Ryōmaden ) directed the first live-action Rurouni Kenshin film, which opened in Japan last August. The film starred Satoh and Emi Takei ( Kyō, Koi o Hajimemasu, For Love's Sake/Ai to Makoto ). It had its North American premiere in Los Angeles in December, and it will play in San Francisco on July 28 and August 1. The first film will have its Japanese television premiere in NTV's Friday night movie timeslot.

Watsuki's manga ran from 1994 to 1999 in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, and the creator also drew the Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration retelling in Jump Square from May 2012 to this month.

An anime series aired in Japan from 1996 to 1998 and spawned several anime film and video projects. Viz Media publishes both manga in North America, while Media Blasters released the television anime. ADV Films released two later original video anime projects and a film on DVD, and Aniplex is released these three titles on Blu-ray Disc.

[Via Manga News]