Ninomiya Kazunari, Matsuyama Kenichi aim big with worldwide premier of “GANTZ”

 

Arashi’s Ninomiya Kazunari and actor Matsuyama Kenichi went on a whirlwind promotional blitz on the 20th, taking part in special events and stage greetings for their new movie, “GANTZ“. The movie, which was released in the U.S. on the 20th and will be released in Japan on the 29th, has been garnering attention the world over, due to the popularity of the original manga series.
On the morning of the 20th, both Ninomiya and Matsuyama held a stage greeting event in Tokyo at Roppongi Hills. Immediately afterwards, the two travelled more than 6,000 kilometers to Los Angeles, and held a second stage greeting for American fans at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
The Hollywood stage greeting was actually GANTZ’s world premier, as the event was broadcasted live to 334 theatres across the U.S.
During the event, many of the questions addressed to the two actors took on very large possibilities, such as the chances of an Oscar or an Academy Award nomination next year. When asked these questions, Ninomiya gave a very direct response: “If we are nominated (for this film) we’ll be really lucky. This time, I think that the screening (of the film) across the U.S. helps to extend our work far across to different people, so there are many opportunities for our work to be recognized.”
With sparkling eyes and great enthusiasm, Matsuyama addressed his thoughts about the American reception of the film. “Looking at the all reactions here as you watched the film, I have no doubt this was a winner!”
GANTZ was undoubtedly very popular overseas, with tickets for the premier screenings being sold out almost immediately in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The event at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood saw more than 400 fans gathering to buy tickets in a panicked scramble. It was apparent that Ninomiya’s earlier appearance in “Letters from Iwo Jima” and Matsuyama’s huge role as antagonist “L” in “Death Note” gave both actors a definite advantage when promoting their new movie.
Ninomiya also spoke to the crowd in English, expressing his gratitude for such a warm reception. “I am very honored to see so many fans watching the movie across the country. I hope to see everyone again with the release of the second part of ‘GANTZ’“.
The movie will be shown in 21 countries worldwide as well. The second and final part of the GANTZ movie will be released on April 23rd.
You can also view a fancam of the event below, which features both actors speaking to fans in English.