Matt Schley
February 28, 2023 
We’re going to have to wait a bit longer to see the Mononoke film.
The movie, based on the 2007 anime of the same name, was originally announced for 2023, but the release has been delayed until at least 2024.
Moreover, Takahiro Sakurai, who played the main character of the Medicine Seller in the original series, will be recast.
Twin Engine, the studio behind the film, explained why in a statement that read:
…the animated film “MONONOKE” sets in Ōoku (historically the women’s quarters of Edo Castle) and tries to depict the suffering and remedy of women. Judging from the standpoint of the story, we decided to change the cast of the Medicine Seller.
As we’ve previously reported, Sakurai has been in the news after admitting to an extended extramarital affair, and has been replaced in several roles.
The new release date for the Mononoke film, as well as the new lead actor, will be revealed this summer.
Here’s how Discotek describes the original series:
In feudal Japan, evil spirits known as mononoke plague both households and the countryside, leaving a trail of fear in their wake. One mysterious person has the power to slay the mononoke where they stand; he is known only as the Medicine Seller, and he vanquishes the spirits using the power of his Exorcism Sword. However, in order to draw his sword he must first understand the Form, Truth and Reason of the mononoke. Armed with a sharp wit and keen intellect, the Medicine Seller wanders from place to place, striking down the evil spirits in his wake.
【Notice of postponement of the release of the movie "MONONOKE" and the change of cast】 pic.twitter.com/fqowRk8jsY
— アニメ『モノノ怪』公式＠劇場版制作決定！ (@anime_mononoke) February 28, 2023
Source: ANN
