News

GKIDS Licenses Lu over the wall, 'Night is Short, Walk on Girl' Anime Films (Updated)

GKIDS announced on Tuesday that it has acquired the North American distribution rights for Masaaki Yuasa's Night is Short, Walk On Girl and Lu over the wall anime films, and it also reaffirmed its distribution of Yuasa's Mind Game anime film. In addition, it announced that the screening of Lu over the wall at Utah's Sundance Film Festival (January 18-28) will feature an English dub.

Both Lu over the wall and Night is Short, Walk On Girl screened in competition at the "Animation is Film" festival last October. Yuasa's Mind Game also screened during the festival. GKIDS is a sponsor for the festival.

Lu over the wall opened in Japan last May, and won the top "Cristal for a Feature Film" award at the Annecy International Film Festival in June. The film also won the Silver Prize for the "Best Animated Feature Film" audience award at Montreal's Fantasia International Film Festival in August.

Night is Short, Walk On Girl opened in Japan last April. The film adapts Tomihiko Morimi's (The Eccentric Family, The Tatami Galaxy) novel of the same name. The story takes place in Kyoto, and follows an upperclassman ("Sempai") who falls in love with his underclassman ("Girl with Black Hair") and tries to get her attention. The film won the Grand Prize for Features award at the Ottawa International Film Festival last September, where it screened in competition alongside Lu over the wall.

GKIDS had already previously made Yuasa's Mind Game film available through streaming on the VRV Select service on December 22, and it is planning a theatrical run for the film on February, with special giveaways for theatergoers.

Update: Brigade, the marketing firm for GKIDS, revealed on Wednesday that Mind Game will get a release in February, Lu over the wall will get a release this spring, and Night is Short, Walk On Girl will get a release this fall.

Thanks to Rukiia for the news tip.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter (Carolyn Giardina)