The US theatrical premiere of Casshern will be a part of the New York Anime Festival (NYAF). The screening will be at 10PM on 8 December 2007 at The ImaginAsian Theater at 239 East 59th Street, New York, NY 10022. The premiere is being sponsored by Subway Cinema and Paramount Pictures, and will be exclusively for NYAF attendees.
Casshern was released in Japan in 2004. It’s a live-action anime film, featuring real actors and actresses in digital environments that were heavily manipulated in post-production. It’s based on the 1973 anime Shinzo Ningen Casshern, “the story of a slain soldier brought back to life to battle an army of super humans called the Neo-Sapiens.” The film was written and directed by Kazuaki Kiriya, and features music by Japanese pop star Hikaru Utada. Shin-go, the film’s soundtrack producer, and Yasuhiro Koshi, the military advisor, will both be appearing at NYAF, and will speak during a special introduction before the premiere.
Admission to the premiere will be free, but only for NYAF badge holders. There will be a second screening on 9 December at the Independent Film Center (323 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10014) that will be open to the public.