Takashi Miike’s ‘Blade Of The Immortal’ Scores U.S. Deal With Magnet Releasing – Cannes

Magnet Releasing has acquired North American distribution rights to Blade Of The Immortal, the new film from Takashi Miike that is playing out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival in its international premiere. A 2017 release is in the works

Magnet, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, also has Arnaud Desplechin’s festival opener Ismael’s Ghosts and Ruben Östlund’s The Square on the Crosiette this year.

Takuya Kimura stars in Mikke’s 100th film as an immortal warrior who is enlisted by a young girl (Hana Sugisaki) to avenge her parents’ slaughter at the hand of a group of master swordsmen. The pic is based on Hiroaki Samura’s manga and was adapted by Tetsuya Oishi. Jeremy Thomas produced with Misako Saka and Shigeji Maeda, with Warner Bros Japan.

The deal was negotiated by Magnolia co-EVP Dori Begley and Magnolia SVP of Acquisitions John Von Thaden, with Gabrielle Stewart and Nicole Mackey at HanWay Films on behalf of the filmmakers.