Kingdom Live-Action Series Continues: New Names Join the Cast of the 5th Film
We have exciting news for Kingdom fans! The live-action film series, based on Yasuhisa Hara's manga that has sold millions of copies worldwide, is returning to the big screen with its fifth installment. According to the official announcement, the new film in the series will be titled Kingdom: Tamashii no Kessen (The Decisive Battle of the Soul) and will be released in theaters in Japan on July 17, 2026. The fresh faces joining the cast for this new adventure are Aju Makita and Mizuki Yamashita.
Among the new additions, Aju Makita will take on the role of Xiang (Kou), an important character who supports King Ei Sei (Ryo Yoshizawa) in the palace and will influence the course of the story. Former Nogizaka46 member Mizuki Yamashita will bring to life the character of Yang (You), Xiang's closest friend and another palace official. These two characters have long been highly anticipated by fans for representing the balances and emotional depth within the palace, beyond the battlefields.
The Kingdom film series has become a phenomenon in the Japanese film industry. The fourth film in the series, Return of the Great General, managed to become the most successful production of the series, grossing a massive 7 billion yen (approximately 48 million dollars). The fifth film will cover the Coalition Army Arc, one of the most beloved parts of the manga, known for its large-scale war strategies. In this arc, we will watch the Qin state's struggle for existence against the combined armies of the other six states.
Shinsuke Sato, one of the architects of the series' success, will once again sit in the director's chair, and we will see Kento Yamazaki in the lead role as Shin once again. The creator of the manga, Yasuhisa Hara, has raised expectations by stating that this new film will surpass the previous four in terms of action and emotional intensity. The original manga series, which has been ongoing since 2006 and has sold over 100 million copies, continues to crown its epic story on the big screen with this new film. For fans, July 17 will be the harbinger of a return to the dusty battlefields of ancient China.
