Aniplex of America announced on Tuesday that the Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale anime film will open in United States theaters on March 9, 2017. Eleven Arts is distributing the film. Screenings will be in Japanese with English subtitles. Theater locations and times will be announced at a later date.

Prior to the wide release, Aniplex of America will host a premiere event in Hollywood, California on March 1.

The company describes the movie's story:

In 2022, the world of virtual reality was upended by the arrival of a new invention from a genius programmer, Akihiko Kayaba, called NerveGear. It was the first full-dive system, and with it, came endless possibilities to VRMMORPGs.

In 2026, a new machine called the Augma is developed to compete against the NerveGear and its successor, the Amusphere. A next-gen wearable device, the Augma doesn't have a full-dive function like its predecessors. Instead, it uses Augmented Reality (AR) to get players into the game. It is safe, user-friendly and lets users play while they are conscious, making it an instant hit on the market. The most popular game on the system is “Ordinal Scale” (aka: OS), an ARMMORPG developed exclusively for the Augma.

Asuna and the gang have already been playing OS for a while, by the time Kirito decides to join them. They're about to find out that Ordinal Scale isn't all fun and games...

The film will open in Japan on February 18 in 150 theaters. Kadokawa had announced in October that the film would be "simultaneously released worldwide on February 18, 2017.” The film's staff previously confirmed that the film will screen in about 1,000 theaters worldwide.

The film will feature a returning cast from the previous two anime series, including:

Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Kirito

Haruka Tomatsu as Asuna

Rina Hidaka as Silica/Keiko

Ayahi Takagaki as Lisbeth/Rika

Miyuki Sawashiro as Sinon/Shino

Hiroaki Hirata as Klein/Ryotaro

Kanae Ito as Yui

Ayana Taketatsu as Leafa/Suguha

Hiroki Yasumoto as Agil/Andrew

Kouichi Yamadera as Akihiko Kayaba

The film is adding three new characters and cast members:

Sayaka Kanda (Gamba: Gamba to Nakama-tachi's Shioji) as AR idol Yuna

Yoshio Inoue (live-action Space Brothers' Kenji Makabe) as mysterious young swordsman Eiji



Takeshi Kaga (Sinbad: Sora Tobu Hime to Himitsu no Shima's Captain Razak, live-action Death Note's Souichirou Yagami) as Augma developer Professor Shigemura



Kanda will also perform an insert song for the anime.