GKIDS Acquires North American Theatrical Rights for Adolescence of Utena for a Two-Night Nationwide Release in June

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NEW YORK, NY (May 28, 2026) – GKIDS, the Academy Award®-winning producer and distributor of acclaimed and artist-driven animation from around the world, announced today it has acquired all theatrical rights for North America, ADOLESCENCE OF UTENA, directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara (Sailor Moon, Revolutionary Girl Utena), and animated by Japanese studio, J.C.STAFF. GKIDS also released a new poster and trailer ahead of the theatrical event. Tickets are on sale now, coming to US theatres for the first time in its original Japanese language with English subtitles for two nights only on June 21st and 22nd.

ADOLESCENCE OF UTENA was originally released in Japan in 1999 and has been praised by critics for carving the path for its successors in animation with its genre-bending and striking visual style. The romantic fantasy is the third entry in the Revolutionary Girl Utena universe from creative collective Be-PaPas, following the iconic 1996 manga and 1997 TV series.

In addition to Director Kunihiko Ikuhara, the feature brings together the works of more great animation veterans, Yōji Enokido (EVANGELION franchise, Sailor Moon, FLCL) as writer and Shichirō Kobayashi (Angel's Egg, Berserk) as art director. J. A. Seazer also returns from the Revolutionary Girl Utena TV series with a robust, magnetic soundtrack for the feature.

Synopsis:

Utena enrolls in the prestigious Ohtori Academy on her quest to become a prince, and stumbles into a mysterious cabal of students dueling for possession of the “Rose Bride.” The role belongs to their classmate Anthy, an enigmatic girl who equally captivates and confuses Utena. While fending off powerful rivals, Utena must uncover the secrets surrounding Anthy and her own desires. As the relationship between the girls intensifies, their thirst for freedom crescendoes into a need for revolution.

ADOLESCENCE OF UTENA is a standalone genre classic that brings together the creative genius of director Kunihiko Ikuhara (Revolutionary Girl Utena, Sailor Moon), writer Yōji Enokido (EVANGELION franchise), and art director Shichirō Kobayashi (ANGEL'S EGG) with J. A. Seazer's transcendent music. Straddling the line between fairytale and surrealist opera, the film stands as a bold display of the ways social roles chain us— and demands we smash through them.

© Shōjo Kakumei Utena Seisakuiinkai. All Rights Reserved.

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 Oscar-nominated Kokuhō 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