VIZ Media’s Mega-Hit Franchise Continues To Expand Across All Entertainment Channels, Win In Ratings, And Top Best Seller Lists

San Francisco, CA, February 23, 2012 – VIZ Media, the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in the North America, announced today that Warner Bros. Pictures has acquired the live-action feature film rights to the hit manga and anime property BLEACH. The announcement comes after another successful year for BLEACH in print, digital publishing, cable television, streaming video, consumer products and video-on-demand.

“BLEACH has built a huge international following in its manga and anime formats, and we’re excited that Warner Bros. shares our belief that BLEACH can also become a fantastic live-action film,” said Jason Hoffs of VIZ Productions, VIZ Media’s Hollywood-based production company. “BLEACH is an exciting opportunity to mix Japanese and Hollywood storytelling to create something new for the big screen, and we’re thrilled for the opportunity to further expose its unique characters and story to film audiences everywhere.”

Peter Segal (GET SMART, THE LONGEST YARD) of Callahan Filmworks is producing with an eye toward directing. The film’s creative team also includes screenwriter Dan Mazeau, who recently penned Warner Bros.’ upcoming sequel to CLASH OF THE TITANS. Callahan Filmworks partner Michael Ewing and Masi Oka (best known for his roles on NBC’s HEROES and CBS’s HAWAII FIVE-0) will produce. From VIZ Productions, Hoffs will serve as Producer, and Branon Coluccio will be Executive Producer. Screenplay development will commence in 2012.

The popular BLEACH animated and manga series, created by Tite Kubo, follows the adventures of Ichigo, a teenager with the ability to see ghosts. When his family is attacked by a Hollow — a malevolent lost soul – Ichigo encounters Rukia, a Soul Reaper tasked to hunting Hollows, and inadvertently absorbs her powers. Now, Ichigo must dedicate his life to protecting the innocent and helping tortured souls find peace.

BLEACH is a tremendously successful multimedia property around the world. The manga has been licensed to more than a dozen countries and has over 75 million copies in print in Japan alone. In North America, the manga (rated ‘T’ for Teens) has consistently appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list for Manga and the Neilsen BookScan Top 50 Graphic Novels list, selling more than 2.1 million copies across 36 volumes.

The BLEACH manga is also available digitally through VIZManga.com and for download through the VIZ Manga App for iPad^®, iPhone^® and iPod^® touch, where it has proven to be a top-seller. The series was recently sped up to bring North American readers up-to-date with the latest story arc in Japan, culminating in it being featured in WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA, the groundbreaking digital manga magazine that VIZ Media just launched at the end of January 2012.

The BLEACH animated series (rated TV-14) has topped the ratings on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, sold over 1.8 million DVDs and consistently ranked among Hulu’s most watched shows, This success has further spawned an array of related video games (over 820,000 sold), apparel, action figures, trading cards and other merchandise.

For more information on BLEACH and to view free streaming episodes, please visit Bleach.viz.com.

For more information on BLEACH digital manga, please visit VIZManga.com/bleach.

For more information on WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA, please visit SJAlpha.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.  VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products.  Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

Santa Ana, CA (February 3, 2012) – NIS America is excited to announce today that the horror comedy Occult Academy Complete Series Premium Edition will be available in North America this May. In Occult Academy, a group of high school students and faculty will tackle spirits, mysterious creatures, ancient prophecies, and even the myth of the Mayan calendar! These odd but intriguing characters will pursue the twists and turns of the world’s greatest mysteries and bring to light hidden stories of untold truths. Occult Academy Complete Series Premium Edition comes packed on 2 Blu-ray discs in NIS’s highly praised collectible packaging, along with a hardcover art book. Preorder at select online retailers: Right Stuf, The Anime Corner Store, Anime Pavilion, Anime Castle, and NIS America’s Online Store.

About Occult Academy:

In the year 2012, the world is a wasteland invaded by aliens. Time travelers like Fumiaki Uchida are sent back to the year 1999 in order to destroy the “Nostradamus Key” to prevent the apocalypse. In 1999, Maya Kumashiro, the daughter of the former principal of Waldstein Academy (AKA Occult Academy), returns to the academy to replace her father. Despising her father’s obsession with the occult, Maya is hell-bent on running the school into the ground out of spite. Her plan is interrupted when she meets Fumiaki and learns of the forthcoming destruction of the world. They form a pact to look for the key.

About the bonuses—art book and bonus tracks:

- 36-page art book with exclusive artwork, draft designs, and an occult encyclopedia! The art book is uniquely laid out and filled with handwritten liner notes. With this art book you’ll be able to dive even deeper into the world and lore of Occult Academy!

- Four bonus short episodes that give a glimpse into Maya’s first childhood encounter with a real, live cryptid!
- Clean OP/ED, clean ep. 13 ED, and Love Machine clip

Starring

Yoko Hikasa as Maya Kumashiro (K-ON!, Infinite Stratos, WAGNARIA!!)

Takahiro Mizushima as Fumiaki Uchida (Angel Beats!, Our Home’s Fox Deity)

Minori Chihara as Mikaze Nakagawa (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Horizon on the Middle of Nowhere)

Yu Kobayashi as Chihiro Kawashima (Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge, Negima)

Produced by

Director: Tomohiko Ito (Death Note, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars)
Studio: A-1 Pictures (WAGNARIA!!, Blue Exorcist, Black Butler, PERSONA -trinity soul-)