The groundbreaking anime film Akira is set to return to theaters in a special 4K and IMAX remaster for a one-day-only event this September. Crunchyroll, in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, announced the rerelease for the United States and Canada.
The showings will feature the original Japanese dialogue with English subtitles, alongside an option for the English dub. Originally released in 1988, Akira depicts a dystopian Tokyo in 2019, decades after a cataclysmic event. The story centers on Kaneda, the leader of a biker gang, and his childhood friend Tetsuo Shima, who gains dangerous telekinetic powers after a mysterious accident. Based on Katsuhiro Otomo's manga of the same name, the film has become a cornerstone of the cyberpunk genre.
Crunchyroll's description of the film elaborates on the plot: "As the leader of a group of young robust delinquents, Kaneda spent his nights tearing through the urban wastes, racing his motorbike against rival groups. One night while riding with his gang, his friend Tetsuo suddenly encounters a strange boy― the product of human experimentation— and is injured in the ensuing crash. Shortly thereafter, a military squadron appears on the scene to take the boy and Tetsuo away to an army research facility. Determined to free Tetsuo from capture, Kaneda sneaks into the army research lab. However, a regimen of extreme experimental procedures has awakened a new power in his friend, and now he is consumed by madness…"
Details regarding ticket sales for the September 4th engagement have not yet been announced. This rerelease follows a previous 4K remaster shown in theaters in 2020.