The 4K remaster edition of Katsuhiro Otomo's classic anime feature AKIRA will start its theatrical run in 36 IMAX theaters across Japan on April 3, 2020. Its premiere screening was planned on the first day of the Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2020, March 13, but was canceled due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection.

The 124-minute film was directed by Katsuhiro Otomo himself, the author of the original AKIRA manga serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Young Magazine. It was released in Japan on July 16, 1988, and earned only 750 million yen against its budget of one billion yen. However, it has been recognized as one of the anime masterpieces internationally because of its exquisite animation visuals that were unimaginable at the time.

After the theatrical run, the 4K remaster edition will be also released in the 9,800-yen (90 US dollars) set of Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray on April 24. And one of its bonus footage, a documentary "AKIRA SOUND MAKING 2019" will be aired on TOKYO MX at 22:00 on March 28 (JST). It introduces an interview with the film's music director Shoji Yamashiro, who newly worked on the 5.1 ch remix sound for the remaster edition, as well as a roundtable talk session by the four main voice cast members: Mitsuo Iwata (Kaneda), Nozomu Sasaki (Tetsuo), Mami Koyama (Kei), Takeshi Kusao (Kai), along with Yamashiro.

Source: "AKIRA" 4K remaster edition official website

©1988 Mushroom/AKIRA Production Committee

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