It has been announced that the live-action film "Blue Lock" (directed by Taki Yusuke), based on the popular soccer manga currently being serialized in "Weekly Shonen Magazine" (Kodansha), will be released on August 7th. The film depicts the fight for survival of 300 high school forwards who are gathered together in the "Blue Lock" project, which aims to develop a striker who can lead Japan to victory in the World Cup. It has been announced that actor Kubota Masataka will play Ego Jinpachi, the project's chief executive officer. A visual of Ego Jinpachi has also been released. An event for the film was held in Tokyo on February 7th, where new information was announced.
Kubota commented, "The words and thoughts that Eishoku uses are biased, but they have a magnetic pull that captivates listeners. When I read the original work, I felt I wanted to accompany him on his lifelong journey of questioning human instincts through soccer. I hope that people will come to the theater to feel the youthful passion of the ever-evolving strikers."
The latest teaser video has been released, offering a glimpse into the heated battles unfolding in the "Blue Prison (Blue Lock)." The video shows 12 players gathered together in a tense atmosphere, in a bleak, prison-like room, at the mercy of a sudden countdown of 2 minutes and 16 seconds. The video also shows a game of "tag," in which the player with the ball is eliminated at the end of the countdown.
Original author Muneyuki Kaneshiro commented, "It's finally been announced! The cast is incredibly passionate! And the production team that put together this lineup is so selfish!" Fellow original author Yusuke Nomura said, "We are already the first fans of this live-action film, but we hope that through the film we can bring 'Blue Lock' to even more people!!"
"Blue Lock" is a manga written by Kinjo and illustrated by Nomura, which has been serialized in "Weekly Shonen Magazine" since 2018. In order to develop a striker who can lead Japan to victory in the FIFA World Cup, the Japan Football Union launches the "Blue Lock" project, and 300 high school forwards gathered from all over the country engage in a fierce battle for survival. The film is produced by "CREDEUS," the production company behind popular works such as the "Kingdom" series, "Golden Kamuy" series, and "National Treasure."
Actor Takahashi Fumiya will play the lead role as Kiyoyoichi, and other cast members include Sakurai Kaito as Hakuraku Mawari, Takahashi Kyohei as Chigiri Hyouma, Nomura Kota as Kunigami Rensuke, Aoki Yuzu as Igarashi Kurimu, Nishigaki Takumi as Narusa Chohi, Tachibana Yuki as Gagarumaru Gin, Ishikawa Raizo as Raichi Jingo, Iwanaga Joi as Iemon Otori, Asano Junya as Kuon Wataru, Sakurai Yuki as Imamura Yudai, and Kura Yuki as Kira Ryosuke.
