The 1993 samurai anime film. ninja scroll returns for a limited theatrical run this fall.
By IGNIconic Events and AMC are teaming up for a re-release on October 4, 5 and 7. (At the time of writing, it is locked exclusively to North America.) The remastered version will reproduce its original 35mm negatives in 4K using a process that “repairs any damage and (performs) color correction to create an archival-quality digital master copy of the film.”
Directed and written by Yoshiaki Kawajiri and created by Animate Film, ninja scroll tells the story of the mercenary swordsman Kibagamei Jubei. Set in feudal Japan, Jubei is tasked with killing the Eight Devils of Kimon, supernatural ninjas intent on taking over the Tokugawa shogunate. Praised for its animation and action, the film was highly appreciated when it was released and is considered a major contributor (along with akira and ghost in the shell) to the popularity of adult anime in the West. (That’s at least true for the Wachowskis, who cited the film as a major influence on the matrix, and then hired Kawajiri to direct and write two segments of The animatrix.)
In the years since Ninja Scrolls release, it has become something of a franchise in itself: it had a standalone sequel series in 2003 and a 12-issue miniseries in 2006 by J. Torres and Michael Chang Ting Yu.
Madhouse Animation Studio announced a sequel in 2008 directed by Kawajiri that stalled, and that same year saw Warner Bros. announce a live action movie that also He didn’t go anywhere. (Oh nooooo, that’s soooo sad).
Tickets for the ninja scroll The re-release will go on sale in the coming weeks.
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