Viz Pictures Acquires Battle League Horumo

Viz Pictures has picked up domestic distribution rights to the 2009 live action fantasy comedy film Battle League Horumo. Director Katsuhide Motoki’s (Kitaro and the Millennium Curse) live action adaptation of Manabu Makime’s best-selling fantasy novel Kamogawa Horumo stars Takayuki Yamada (Densha Otoko) and Chiaki Kuriyama (Kill Bill) and features extensive digital effects from former Gonzo animation studio subsidiary Genero. The movie centers around present day teams of college students that compete in mock battles engaged between small armies of 100 pint-sized “oni” spirit monsters.

The film will be screened later this month at the Fantasia Festival in Montreal, Canada. The film will also screen at the 2009 Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, and at the 2009 Hawaii International Film Festival. Details regarding a DVD release will be forthcoming.