GKIDS, the company best known for distributing the Studio Ghibli films and the upcoming Godzilla Minus Zero, has announced the acquisition of two major titles during their Industry Panel at AnimeNYC this weekend, with one of them being one of the most beloved horror anime of all time. Fans of cult classic deep cuts will be pleased to hear that the distribution company has acquired the North American theatrical and home video distribution rights to Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, the horror anime based on the “Vampire Hunter D” novel series by Hideyuki Kikuchi. The film was directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Ninja Scroll, Wicked City), with animation from creative powerhouse MADHOUSE (Perfect Blue, Death Note). Mata Yamamoto, Masao Maruyama, and Taka Nagasawa served as producers for the film, which was also based on character illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano.
The official synopsis for Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust reads:
“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.”
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Premiering in 2000 at the Fantasia International Film Festival and widely considered one of the greatest (and at the same time, one of the most underrated) anime films of all time, the horror flick was originally distributed in English, with the Japanese version being fairly difficult to obtain outside of Japan. This will be changing very soon, as the GKIDS release will be the full Japanese version with English subtitles in both the theatrical and home video releases. The new North American release of Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust will begin with select screenings this fall, with a wider theatrical and home entertainment release to follow in 2027.
According to further information provided by the official press release, GKIDS plans to reveal additional details on the feature’s North American theatrical and home entertainment plans later this year.
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About GKIDS:
GKIDS is the Academy Award-winning curator, producer, and distributor of artist-driven, globally inspired cinema dedicated to connecting North American audiences with distinctive stories from around the world. Widely celebrated for its leadership in the “animation is film” movement, the studio has played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape for feature animation in the U.S. and internationally for nearly two decades. GKIDS represents the work of many of the world’s most acclaimed animation filmmakers, including Makoto Shinkai (Your Name., Weathering With You), Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress), Tomm Moore (Song of the Sea, Wolfwalkers), Mamoru Hosoda (Mirai, Wolf Children), and serves as the North American home of Japan’s legendary Studio Ghibli.
Upcoming theatrical releases include the highly anticipated Godzilla Minus Zero, the follow up to director Takashi Yamazaki’s Academy Award-winning Godzilla Minus One, and Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, the latest Aardman feature in the beloved Oscar-nominated film series. In addition to the Oscar-nominated Kokuho and Little Amélie and the Character of Rain, recent theatrical releases are the box office hit Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, Mamoru Oshii’s cult classic Angel’s Egg, and the critically acclaimed All You Need Is Kill, alongside groundbreaking television series such as DAN DA DAN, NEON GENESIS EVANGELION, and Arcane: League of Legends. @GKIDSFilms
