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GKIDS Brings Adolescence of Utena to North American Theaters for Two Nights

The two-night engagement gives a cult-classic anime film its first wide North American theatrical run, expanding GKIDS' strategy of event-style releases for titles that have historically been underserved in theaters.

Key Facts

  • GKIDS acquired North American theatrical rights for Kunihiko Ikuhara's 1999 anime film Adolescence of Utena, announced on May 28.
  • The film will screen in Japanese with English subtitles in U.S. theaters on June 21 and 22, 2026.
  • Tickets are now on sale, and GKIDS released a new trailer and poster.
  • The film is a surreal retelling of the Revolutionary Girl Utena television series, which aired in 1997.
  • The film was produced by J.C.Staff and originally premiered in Japan on August 14, 1999.

Reporting from 6 sources: Anime News Network, Crunchyroll News, Cartoon Brew, Anime Trending, and 2 more.

GKIDS Brings Adolescence of Utena to North American Theaters for Two Nights

GKIDS announced on May 28 that it has acquired the North American theatrical rights for Kunihiko Ikuhara's 1999 anime film Adolescence of Utena. The distributor will screen the movie in Japanese with English subtitles in U.S. theaters on June 21 and 22, 2026. Tickets are now on sale. GKIDS also released a new trailer and poster alongside the announcement. The film is a surreal retelling of the Revolutionary Girl Utena television series, which aired in 1997. It follows Utena Tenjou as she enrolls at Ohtori Academy and becomes entangled in duels over the Rose Bride, Anthy Himemiya. The creative team includes screenwriter Yoji Enokido, art director Shichiro Kobayashi, and composer J.A. Seazer. The film was produced by J.C.Staff and originally premiered in Japan on August 14, 1999. Previous North American home video releases came from Central Park Media on DVD and VHS, and the film has streamed on RetroCrush, Funimation, and Tubi. This marks the first wide North American theatrical release for the film.

Cartoon Brew described the film as "one of anime's most influential cult features" and noted the release is part of GKIDS' strategy of event-style limited releases for underserved audiences. The outlet also highlighted that Ikuhara directed the feature shortly after his work on Sailor Moon, cementing the style that would later define projects such as Mawaru Penguindrum and Sarazanmai.

Crunchyroll News noted that the film "transforms the already mysterious Ohtori Academy into an even stranger place, with floating architecture and dreamlike cutaways." The outlet also mentioned the film "departs from the series in a variety of unpredictable ways, from reimagined characterizations to a (very literal) high-octane finale."

Okazu reported that the film is playing at AMC, Cineplex, Regal, and Cinemark theaters, though the GKIDS announcement only mentioned AMC. The outlet also noted that the film is "one of four alternate versions of the Utena narrative" and called it "visually one of the most astonishing experiences I have ever had."

Anime News Network added that the Be-PaPas creative collective, which included Chiho Saito, Yōji Enokido, Shinya Hasegawa, Ikuhara, and Yūichirō Oguro, developed the Revolutionary Girl Utena manga and anime simultaneously. The outlet also noted that Viz Media licensed and sold the manga in North America, including a collector's edition.

Synthesized by Yomimono from the 6 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.

Revolutionary Girl Utena: Adolescence of Utena GKIDS

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