David Jesteadt: Last News

Gkids has acquired theatrical, videogram and digital transactional rights to the new anime series Dan Da Dan. The acquisition serves as Gkids’ first engagement with a first-run series, following North American distribution of various famed retrospective series work. No release date is set.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Animation company GKids has acquired theatrical rights for the North American distribution of “Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-.” The film will be released Feb. 28 and is directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki (“Evangelion”). Yoji Enokido (“Revolutionary Girl Utena”) is the film’s screenwriter and is joined by Hideaki Anno for the screenplay.

Jack Dunn GKIDS and European animation distributor Anime Ltd. have acquired global rights to Naoko Yamada’s new film “The Colors Within.” GKIDS has acquired the film for North America, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand, while Anime Ltd. has acquired the film for the United Kingdom, Ireland, and all of Europe.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor GKIDS has announced the acquisition of North American rights to Mamoru Hosoda’s entire film catalog. Hosoda’s films include “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time,” “Wolf Children,” “Mirai” and “Belle.” GKIDS’ President David Jesteadt said, “One of GKIDS’ earliest distribution projects was the theatrical release of ‘Summer Wars,’ when Mamoru Hosoda had already cemented his position as one of the most exciting animation directors.

Jaden Thompson GKIDS has announced the acquisition of North American rights to Benoît Chieux’s French animated fantasy film “Sirocco and the Kingdom of Winds,” with plans for a theatrical release in 2024. “Sirocco and the Kingdom of Winds” was released in theaters in France on Dec.

Gkids has acquired North American rights to Mars Express, the French animated feature from first-timer Jérémie Perin, which was an official selection this year of both Cannes and Annecy.

Carole Horst Animation producer and distributor GKIDS has acquired all North American rights to the music-driven anime feature “Blue Giant.” The film, an adaptation of the manga of the same name, is directed by Yuzuru Tachikawa (“Mob Psycho100,” “Death Parade,” “Detective Conan: The Black Iron Submarine”). Number 8, the editor of the original “Blue Giant” manga written by Shinichi Ishizuka, penned the script. In “Blue Giant,” former high school basketball player Dai Miyamoto discovers a love for jazz, and determines to learn the saxophone. He hits the jazz clubs of Tokyo in his quest to be the best sax player in the world. Dai launches a trio with cocky but talented pianist Yukinori, with Dai’s friend Shunji on the drums. But he soon learns that life as a professional musician is harder than it looks from the outside.

Gkids has snapped up North American rights to Keiichi Hara’s Lonely Castle in the Mirror, after serving as the distributor in the territory for his past animated features Summer Days with Coo and Miss Hokusai. The film based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Mizuki Tsujimura, featuring animation from A-1 Pictures, is slated for a theatrical release in both its original Japanese language and an all-new English dub this summer.

Michaela Zee editor GKIDS has acquired the North American distribution rights to “Unicorn Wars,” ahead of the adult animated film’s U.S. premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. The news was announced Thursday. Set during an ancestral war between teddy bears and unicorns, the horror-comedy film follows Bluet and Tubby, teddy bear brothers who are polar opposites to each other. When their time at teddy bear bootcamp leads to a combat tour in the Magic Forest, Bluet and Tubby’s complicated history and tense relationship could affect the fate of the war, including whether the teddy bears will fulfill the prophecy and usher in a new era. “Unicorn Wars” is directed and written by illustrator Alberto Vázquez. Prior to this deal, GKIDS distributed Vázquez’s Goya Award-winning feature “Birdboy: The Forgotten Children” and animated short “Decorado.”

Wilson Chapman editor Animation specialists GKIDS has acquired North American distribution rights for Chinese animated film “New Gods: Yang Jian,” with plans to release the film in theaters early next year. Directed by Ji Zhao, “Yang Jian” is the second installment in his “New Gods” series of animated fantasy films adapted from Chinese mythology. The series, which began last year with “New Gods: Nezha Reborn,” is produced by Chinese animation studio Light Chaser Animation, which also produced Zhao’s directorial debut “White Snake” in 2019. “Yang Jian” follows the titular Chinese god, also known as Erlang Shen, who was famous for his truth-seeing eye in the middle of his forehead. Thirteen years after he imprisoned his own sister beneath a mountain, the god works as a bounty hunter, and is hired by a mysterious woman to stop his nephew Chenxiang from obtaining a magical lotus lantern with incredible power. The film was released in Chinese theaters last week, where it beat “Minions: Rise of Gru” to top the box office with a $19.8 million opening weekend.