Perfect Blue 4K Restoration Coming to US and UK Cinemas

The late Satoshi Kon was unique among anime directors. His influence and reputation went far beyond the Japanese animation sphere- and animation in general. He became a staple of film festivals around the world, and the animation strand at Fantasia Festival was even named after him. Now, 15 years after his untimely death, one of his most acclaimed and influential films is returning to cinemas... on both sides of the pond.

Perfect Blue is Kon's directorial debut (although he had previously written Magnetic Rose a segment of the anthology feature Memories). The film is a psychological thriller that blurs the line between fantasy and reality. It features the central character of Mima, a pop idol who leaves her girl band to launch an acting career. She finds herself overwhelmed by provocative offers that go beyond her wishes. Then, a series of murders begin to target those around her. " Blending a play within a play, the story unfolds as fiction and reality, dreams and delusions, and cyberspace intertwine—like an optical illusion."

The film explores themes such as identity, consumerism and parasocial relationships that are every bit as relevant today as they were when the movie was released in 1998. It continues to be discovered by new generations of anime fans and cinephiles as they discover Kon's all-too-short filmography. Even then, Perfect Blue stands out as a singular work. It is said to be the first animated film to present a psychological suspense story, and went on to influence filmmakers such as Christopher Nolan and Darren Aronofsky.

The film will be presented in a brand new 4K Restoration, in both subtitled and English-dubbed versions.

GKIDS Films will release Perfect Blue from October 3 in the United States and Canada. Anime Limited have announced that they will release the film for a limited time from October 10 in the United Kingdom and Ireland. They have also confirmed that there will be a Deluxe edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray release, sometime later this year. A US release for the 4K UHD hasn't been confirmed, but we'd expect for it to follow soon.

Tickets are available for the US and Canada screenings here.