The official website for the live-action film adaptation of Hideaki Sorachi's action comedy manga Gintama announced on August 21 that the Shun Oguri-starring film will receive wide release in 8,000 theaters with over 12,000 screens in the Chinese mainland from September 1. It is the largest scale release for a Japanese film in the Chinese cinema history. The previous record holder was Makoto Shinkai's anime film Kimi no Na wa./Your Name. that was released in 7,000 theaters in December 2016.

In its home country Japan, Gintama had 334 theaters in its opening weekend of July 15-16. The film has earned an impressive 3.48 billion yen by its 6th weekend, and is expected to be the top-grossing live-action Japanese film of this summer. It has already been released in Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, and Hong Kong, and is scheduled to get theatrical run soon in Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the US, Canada, Germany, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, and the middle-South

American countries.

Director Yuichi Fukuda says, "When I heard the number of the screens to show the film, I just couldn't

imagine it because it was too different from that of Japan. I've heard that Gintama has been very popular

in China as well. I can only pray that the live-action version will be able to meet their expectations somehow."

Manga author Sorachi has posted a special illustration of Gintoki for the Chinese fans.

"Gintama" trailer 2

Souce: "Gintama" live-action film official website, Twitter

(C)Hideaki Sorachi/Shueisha (C)2017 Movie "Gintama" Production Committee