Distributor GKIDS has secured the North American theatrical and home entertainment distribution rights to two high-profile Japanese productions: the acclaimed 2000 gothic anime feature Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust and the live-action cinematic adaptation of Makoto Shinkai's romantic drama 5 Centimeters per Second.
Gothic Splendor Returns
Directed by visionary filmmaker Yoshiaki Kawajiri at studio Madhouse, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust remains one of the pinnacle achievements in high-octane dark fantasy animation. Based on the novel series by Hideyuki Kikuchi, the story follows the titular half-human, half-vampire mercenary hired to retrieve a young noblewoman captured by the vampire Baron Meier Link.
After a young woman is seemingly abducted by the vampire Baron Meier Link, her father hires D – a vampire-hunting “Dunpeal” – to rescue her. As D rides across the wastelands, he must compete against a group of tough mercenary hunters, and confront the complex truth about the woman.
GKIDS plans to host theatrical screenings of the Japanese-language cut with English subtitles in select cinemas this autumn, paving the way for expanded theatrical rollouts and physical home video releases scheduled for 2027.
Shinkai's Melancholy Reimagined
Expanding beyond animation, GKIDS also acquired theatrical rights to the live-action reimagining of Shinkai's seminal 2007 anthology romance. Directed by Yoshiyuki Okuyama and penned by Ayako Suzuki, the film stars Hokuto Matsumura (SixTONES, the voice of Sota Munakata in Suzume) as Takaki Tono, capturing the bittersweet separation of two childhood friends across decades.
Produced by Spoon and distributed domestically in Japan by TOHO, the adaptation scored strong commercial results upon its domestic theatrical run, debuting at number two at the Japanese box office with 420 million yen in its opening three days. The production features an evocative score composed by Ayatake Ezaki alongside the theme song "1991" performed by pop sensation Kenshi Yonezu.
