Warner Bros. Japan confirmed that its two new live-action films are further delayed from summer 2020 to spring 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The whole production was stopped due to the state of emergency implemented by the Japanese government that started in April.
The good thing with the new release date though is that Director Keishi Ōtomo claimed that the level of quality will be raised even more than before.
He said:
To surpass the quality of the previous films, we have poured a massive quantity of heat into this film from many view points, such as action scenes never seen before, two totally different eras of Bakumatsu and Meiji, a deep drama that Kenshin carries, and a pure love story. It will definitely become a film that can be loved by everyone, so we hope you will be looking forward to it.
The films are set at the End of Edo Period and after The Meiji Restoration.
The Beginning: Trust & Betrayal is about Kenshin’s younger years and the tragic romance with his first wife, Tomoe Yukishiro. Meanwhile, The Final: The Jinchu Arc is about the revenge of Enishi Yukishiro.
The first live-action version was released in 2012 in Japan. It received praises for its stellar choreography and dubbed a nearly perfect film adaptation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o5Y1OLXPh0&feature=emb_title
When it comes to its manga version, the Hokkaido Arc was suspended in November 2017, after creator Nobuhiro Watsuki being arrested for possession of child pornography. After getting a slap on the wrist (a fine of 200,000 yen / US$1,870), it returned to Jump SQ in June 2018.
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