'ChaO' Comes to Theaters in North America April 10th

New Poster & Trailer Released

New Romantic Comedy With Animation from the Acclaimed Studio 4°C

VIEW TRAILER HERE

NEW YORK, NY (February 12, 2026) – GKIDS, the Academy Award-winning animation distributor and producer, today announced it is bringing the animated romantic comedy ChaO to theaters in North America beginning April 10th, alongside a new poster and trailer.

From veteran animator Yasuhiro Aoki and acclaimed Japanese animation house Studio 4°C (All You Need Is Kill, Tekkonkinkreet, Mind Game), ChaO made its world premiere in competition at the prestigious Annecy International Film Festival last June, where it took home the prestigious Jury Award for a feature film.

Synopsis:
In a fantastical future, humans and mermaids share a troubled coexistence. Stephan, an anxious employee at a shipbuilding company, has big ideas to save the sea. But his life explodes into ecstatic chaos when bubbly mermaid princess Chao proposes marriage out of the blue. Between shopping sprees, giant robots, and actual fireworks, the unlikely pair flounder through their new romance and unlock their true feelings.

Crafted over 7 years by the acclaimed STUDIO4°C and veteran animator Yasuhiro Aoki, ChaO is an inventive and genre-defying delight bursting with color and character. Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, ChaO's singular narrative is an ode to boundless love.

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.

This year's Academy Award nominations mark the studio's milestone of 15 Academy Award nominations overall with a first nomination for Best Makeup and Hairstyling with Kokuho, and a 14th nomination in the Best Animated Feature category with Little Amélie or the Character of Rain. The studio took home a win in the category in 2024 for Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron.

Building on this legacy, GKIDS recently expanded into live-action film, applying the same thoughtful curation and innovative distribution strategies to filmmaker-driven projects reflecting diverse global perspectives and bold creative ambition. GKIDS also produces the popular, annual, nationwide Ghibli Fest, and is the founder and producer of the LA-based ANIMATION IS FILM festival, the premier U.S. showcase for global feature animation.

In addition to Kokuho, upcoming theatrical releases include the highly anticipated Godzilla Minus Zero, the follow up to director Takaski 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 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