GKIDS and Fathom Events have teamed up to bring the beloved anime film to theaters for a limited run this summer.
GKIDS, a known distributor for Academy Award animated films such as Hayao Miyazaki‘s extensive Studio Ghibli catalog, has announced a new partnership with Fathom Events to exclusively release The Deer King on July 13 and 14 at fan previews, before a limited theatrical release begins on July 15. The new animated feature comes from proclaimed animation studio, Production I.G, and directors Masashi Ando and Masayuki Miyaji.
The Deer King will play in theaters with the original Japanese track on July 13 and will be followed by the English dub the next day. Audiences at these screenings will also see an exclusive introduction from Ando, who has worked on numerous projects in different roles, including character designer, animation director, and key animator with Studio Ghibli on the films Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. He also worked with legendary director Satoshi Kon on Paprika and Paranoia Agent.
Co-director Miyaji is most well-known for directing the 2009 anime series, Xam’s: Lost Memories and working on the Studio Ghibli films My Neighbor Totoro and The Yamadas — the latter of which is an adaptation of the original book series by author Nahoko Uehashi, that went on to win the Booksellers Award and the Japan Medical Novel Award in 2015. The novel went on to sell over 2.2 million copies in Japan.
The film is described as a “sweeping fantasy epic” marking Ando’s directorial debut. You can purchase tickets for the exclusive fan screenings beginning on June 10, from Fathom Events or directly from the GKIDS page for The Deer King. This date is subject to vary between local cinemas and theater chains.
Check out the new teaser for the film down below.
Here’s the official synopsis for The Deer King:
In the aftermath of a brutal war, former soldier Van toils in a mine controlled by the ruling empire. One day, his solitary existence is upended when a pack of wild dogs carrying a deadly and incurable disease attack, leaving only Van and a young girl named Yuna as survivors. Finally free, the pair seek out a simple existence in the countryside but are pursued by nefarious forces. Intent on protecting Yuna at all costs, Van must uncover the true cause of the plague ravaging the kingdom—and its possible cure.
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