Magnet Releasing released Takashi Miike's live-action film of Hiroaki Samura's Blade of the Immortal manga digitally and on demand with English subtitles on Wednesday. Digitally, the film is available to rent on iTunes, Amazon Video, FlixFling, PlayStation Store, Vudu, and Xbox.

Blade of the Immortal premiered in North America at Fantastic Fest, which was held in Austin, Texas from September 21-28. The film then had a wider theatrical release on November 3.

The film premiered in Japan on April 29, and hosted its international premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, which was held from May 17-28. The film ranked at #6 in Japan in its opening weekend, selling 145,000 tickets and earning 189 million yen (about US$1.68 million).

Samura's original Blade of the Immortal manga follows Manji's journey of revenge as the yōjinbō (bodyguard) of Rin, a young woman who swears vengeance against a group of sword fighters who murdered her parents.

The film's lead actors include Takuya Kimura and Hana Sugisaki. Kimura (Howl's Moving Castle, Redline, live-action Space Battleship Yamato) plays the lead character Manji, a rōnin warrior cursed with an immortal body. Sugisaki (When Marnie Was There, live-action Humanoid Monster Bem, Tsukuroi Tatsu Hito) plays both the heroine Rin Asano and Manji's sister Machi. Miike (Ichi the Killer, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Yatterman, As the Gods Will, Crows) directed the film.

[Via TokuSwag]