Chris Nahon’s Blood: the Last Vampire finally hit UK cinema screens on Friday 26th of June. Does it live up to the standard of Production I.G.’s original OVA, and does it present a beacon of quality that live action anime adaptations presently need so badly? The Thrasher made to pilgrimage to the cinema to bring to bring LAA’s first verdict in a new video review.

The film opens this Friday, May 29th, in Japan, and will be released in the UK on June 12th, and France on June 17th.  other countries, such as the U.S., will see the film open this summer.  To discuss this, head on over to the forums.

The video shows a showdown between the vampiric heroine Saya (Gianna Jun) and her nemesis Onigen (Koyuki, also playing a leading role in The Legend of Kamui). The film is presently set for a release date of May 29th in Japan, June 12th in the UK, and June 17th in France. It will also be released in Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea and other territories in June; whether or not North America is among these other territories is still undetermined.

Koyuki as antagonist Onigen

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IGN Movies has learned that Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group (SPWAG) has acquired domestic media rights for Blood: The Last Vampire, East Wing Holdings Corp. and SAJ’s English language live-action feature movie of the 2000 Japanese anime feature film.

Directed by Chris Nahon (Empire of the Wolves, Kiss of the Dragon), Blood: The Last Vampire stars Gianna (My Sassy Girl, Daisy) as Saya, a 400-year-old demon-hunting vampire slayer working undercover in Japan for a secret organization, on a mission in the Vietnam War era. The cast also includes Koyuki (The Last Samurai, Always: Sunset on Third Street), Michael Byrne (Beyond the Sea, Gangs of New York), Colin Salmon (Resident Evil, Punisher: War Zone, Clubbed), and Allison Miller (Kings).

The film features stunt choreographed by Cory Yuen (Transporter 3, Red Cliff), is produced by Bill Kong and Abel Nahmias, with screenplay by Chris Chow.

Source: IGN

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The video shows some of the extensive wirework and training which went into the film’s myriad fight scenes, as well as interviews with South Korean star Gianna Jun and French director Chris Nahon. Blood: The Last Vampire is set for a May release in Japan and a June release in Europe, though a North American release is still to be set.

On a related note, I saw a poster for Blood at my local cinema today. Regretfully, I didn’t have my camera with me, but from it I gleaned that it received the BBFC’s ‘18′ rating, which can be interpreted as no-holds-barred violence. At any rate, it should be refreshing to see a live-action anime adaptation which definitely isn’t a family film.

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Blood is directed by Chris Nahon and will star South Korean actress Jeon Ji-hyun as Saya and Japanese actress Koyuki as her nemesis Onigen. It will open in Japan on May 29th (under the title of Last Blood), in the UK on June 12th and in France on June 17th. Its US release date remains unconfirmed, though it has received an R rating from the MPAA for “strong bloody stylised violence”.

This movie is looking better by the minute. Can’t wait for June!

Thanks go to Anime News Network for this item of news.

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Activeanime.com today released a 97 second theatrical trailer for the live-action adaptation of Hiroyuki Kitakubo’s Blood: The Last Vampire, due for release in the UK and France on June 12th

Produced by Pathe, directed by Chris Nahon (Kiss of the Dragon) and choreographed by Corey Yuen (Transporter series), Blood is the story of Saya, a half-demon employed by the US government to hunt down and eradicate the vampire-like creatures that pose a threat to humanity.

You can watch the trailer HERE. The dialogue doesn’t sound up to much, but the cinematography is sweet and it carries a hefty martial arts pedigree. I’m looking forward to this one.

Thanks to ANN for the news.

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With the live action adaptation of Blood: The Last Vampire on the horizon, The Thrasher’s Word takes you back for another look at Production I.G.’s original OVA from 2000. Still worth watching? Hell yes. Here’s why:

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