Akira Makes A Million At The UK and Ireland Box-Office
Not so long ago, anime was a pretty rare sight in western cinemas. But over more recent years, thanks to companies like the UK's Anime Limited, this has changed. Anime Limited has kept a steady stream of Japanese animated features headed to the big screen in the UK and Ireland, mixing the hottest new releases with rereleases of classics. And you don't get much more classic than Akira, which was released in cinemas and IMAX across the UK and Ireland on April 17 in a new 4K restoration.
You might think that there could hardly be an anime fan who has yet to see Katsuhiro Otomo's legendary sci-fi epic. But whether watching it for the first time or revisiting an old favourite, Akira has proven to be quite the box-office draw. So much so that the film has taken in over £1 million, making it the biggest classic rerelease of the year to date. It managed to reach 5th place in the box-office chart, against competition like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Project Hail Mary. It also achieved the accolade of becoming the 4th highest opening for an anime film in the UK and Ireland, ever.
Anime Limited Theatrical Product Manager Anna Francis said "We're absolutely thrilled to see AKIRA take over £1,000,000 at the UK & Ireland box office. In recent years we have seen a huge surge in interest for classic anime films in cinemas and AKIRA is one of the best known anime films of all time. The monumental influence of the film is clearer now than ever and the fact it still resonates with audiences today, 38 years after it was initially released in Japan, is a sign of how incredible it is as an enduring work of art. It has been fantastic to see the marketing campaign reach new audiences as well as existing fans and we are sure this is a key reason behind the box office success to date. We have many exciting plans for AKIRA coming up over the next few months and can't wait to continue working with our wonderful cinema partners to bring AKIRA to more screens in the future."
Otomo's 1988 classic is based on his own sprawling manga and is often credited with popularising anime in the English-speaking world. It follows the exploits of teen bikers Kaneda and Tetsuo who get caught up in a top-secret government experiment in post World War III NeoTokyo. Even today, nearly four decades since its original release, the film impresses with its stunning animation and blows minds with its brain-melting plot. It has gone on to become one of the most influential animated films ever made.
Akira is screening in cinemas and IMAX in the UK and Ireland now, both in the original language with subtitles and with the English dub.
