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KIDS
GKIDS is actively distributing a slate of films in North American theaters, including a 4K remaster of Tekkonkinkreet, the first wide theatrical run for Adolescence of Utena, and the U.S. premiere of The Last Blossom, while Larry Clark's Bully is being revived in 4K in Japan.
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Yomimono stories · updated
Jun 19
GKIDS has been steadily releasing anime films in North American theaters through limited two-night engagements. In May 2026, the distributor announced a 4K remaster of the 2006 film Tekkonkinkreet, directed by Michael Arias and animated by STUDIO4°C, screening on May 31 and June 1. The remaster marks the 20th anniversary of the feature and is its first nationwide U.S. theatrical release. A 4K UHD Blu-ray and digital download will follow later in the year. The release continues an active period between GKIDS and STUDIO4°C, following the distributor's January release of All You Need is Kill and the upcoming ChaO on April 10.
Later in May, GKIDS acquired North American theatrical rights for Kunihiko Ikuhara's 1999 anime film Adolescence of Utena. The distributor screened the film in Japanese with English subtitles on June 21 and 22, 2026, marking its first wide North American theatrical run. The film was produced by J.C.Staff and originally premiered in Japan on August 14, 1999. Previous North American home video releases came from Central Park Media, and the film has streamed on RetroCrush, Funimation, and Tubi.
In June, GKIDS announced it would screen Baku Kinoshita and Kadzuya Konomoto's original anime film The Last Blossom in U.S. theaters on August 30-31. The film, which opened in Japan on October 10 and played at Annecy in 2025, follows a dying former yakuza reminiscing with a talking flower. CLAP handled animation production. Separately, Larry Clark's 2001 youth crime film Bully will screen in 4K starting September 11 at Tokyo's Shinjuku Cinema Square and other theaters, 25 years after production, based on Jim Schutze's nonfiction book about a 1993 murder case.
Key facts
- Tekkonkinkreet 4K remaster theatrical run
- GKIDS screened a 4K remaster of Tekkonkinkreet in North American theaters on May 31 and June 1, 2026, the film's first nationwide U.S. theatrical release. ↗
- Adolescence of Utena North American theatrical rights
- GKIDS acquired North American theatrical rights for Adolescence of Utena and screened it on June 21 and 22, 2026, the film's first wide North American theatrical run. ↗
- The Last Blossom U.S. theatrical release
- GKIDS will screen The Last Blossom in U.S. theaters on August 30-31, 2026. ↗
- Bully 4K revival
- Larry Clark's Bully will screen in 4K starting September 11, 2026 at Tokyo's Shinjuku Cinema Square and other theaters, 25 years after production. ↗
Timeline
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
All coverage
Aug 28
The Last Blossom, the first original feature-length anime from Odd Taxi director Baku Kinoshita, opens in select U.S. theaters this weekend. GKIDS, the film's North American distributor, is releasing it for two nights only, August 30 and 31, in Japanese with English subtitles. The film premiered in competition at the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival before opening in Japan last October under the title Housenka. The story follows Akutsu, a former yakuza serving a life sentence, who recounts his life to a sarcastic talking flower growing from a tin can. Kinoshita directed and designed the characters, reuniting with Odd Taxi writer Kazuya Konomoto, who wrote the original story and screenplay. Animation was handled by Studio CLAP, known for Pompo the Cinephile. In an interview with Anime Herald, Kinoshita discussed his interest in criminals as people who live in the moment, the Balsam flower as a wiser-than-human philosopher, and why the song Stand By Me appears in the film. He also noted that he currently leans toward television work because it offers more room to develop stories.
Aug 6
Roblox held a media roundtable explaining its safety philosophy behind the age-based accounts Roblox Kids and Roblox Select, implemented in June 2026. Senior Vice President and Chief Design Officer Masatsugu Kato detailed the platform's demographics, noting users 13 and under are about one-third of the total, and outlined the accounts' restrictions and review process.
Aug 4
GKIDS will bring Makoto Shinkai's Your Name back to North American theaters on August 14 with a 4K remaster, marking the film's 10th anniversary. The distributor began streaming a trailer for the screening on Wednesday. Tickets are already on sale for showings in both the original Japanese and an English-language dub. The 2016 film, animated by CoMix Wave Films, follows Mitsuha, a rural teenager, and Taki, a Tokyo student, who wake up in each other's bodies and uncover a connection that spans time. Your Name became an international hit, earning more than $400 million worldwide, and won best animated feature at the Sitges Film Festival, plus honors for animation, directing, screenplay, and music at the Japan Academy Film Prize. The theatrical re-release joins several other Shinkai films that GKIDS distributes, including Weathering with You, 5 Centimeters per Second, Children Who Chase Lost Voices, and The Place Promised in Our Early Days. The film will also receive new 4K UHD Steelbook and Blu-ray Disc home video releases on August 25.
Jul 6
GKIDS announced during its Anime Expo panel on Sunday several home video releases, including a 4K UHD Collector's Edition for Look Back on September 8, a 4K UHD Collector's Edition for the 4K remaster of Angel's Egg on September 22, and a Blu-ray Disc release for Hideaki Anno's live-action film Love & Pop on October 6.
Jun 19
Larry Clark's 2001 youth crime film 'Bully' will screen in 4K starting September 11 at Tokyo's Shinjuku Cinema Square and other theaters. The revival, 25 years after production, is based on Jim Schutze's nonfiction book about a 1993 murder case. The cast includes Brad Renfro, Bijou Phillips, and Michael Pitt.
Jun 10
GKIDS will screen Baku Kinoshita and Kadzuya Konomoto's original anime film The Last Blossom in U.S. theaters on August 30-31. The film, which opened in Japan on October 10 and played at Annecy in 2025, follows a dying former yakuza reminiscing with a talking flower. CLAP handled animation production.
May 28
GKIDS announced on May 28 that it has acquired the North American theatrical rights for Kunihiko Ikuhara's 1999 anime film Adolescence of Utena. The distributor will screen the movie in Japanese with English subtitles in U.S. theaters on June 21 and 22, 2026. Tickets are now on sale. GKIDS also released a new trailer and poster alongside the announcement. The film is a surreal retelling of the Revolutionary Girl Utena television series, which aired in 1997. It follows Utena Tenjou as she enrolls at Ohtori Academy and becomes entangled in duels over the Rose Bride, Anthy Himemiya. The creative team includes screenwriter Yoji Enokido, art director Shichiro Kobayashi, and composer J.A. Seazer. The film was produced by J.C.Staff and originally premiered in Japan on August 14, 1999. Previous North American home video releases came from Central Park Media on DVD and VHS, and the film has streamed on RetroCrush, Funimation, and Tubi. This marks the first wide North American theatrical release for the film.
May 16
GKIDS will screen a new 4K remaster of the 2006 anime film Tekkonkinkreet in North American theaters on May 31 and June 1. The two-night event marks the 20th anniversary of the feature, which was directed by Michael Arias and animated by STUDIO4°C. It is the first nationwide U.S. theatrical release for the title. Tickets are on sale now. The screenings will offer both the original Japanese language track and the English dub. A 4K UHD Blu-ray and digital download release will follow later in the year, though no date was given. The film adapts the Eisner Award-winning manga by Taiyo Matsumoto. It won the Japan Academy Film Prize for Animation of the Year in 2008 and the Ofuji Noburo Award at the 2006 Mainichi Film Awards, among other honors. The remaster continues an active period between GKIDS and STUDIO4°C. The distributor released the studio's All You Need is Kill in January and will release ChaO on April 10. Previous collaborations include Mind Game and Children of the Sea.