GKIDS Licenses Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust and Live-Action 5 Centimeters per Second
The fall screenings of the Japanese-language Bloodlust mark a notable shift for a film whose prior North American home video editions featured only the English dub, per Cartoon Brew.
Key Facts
- GKIDS acquired North American rights to the Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust anime and the live-action 5 Centimeters per Second film, announced on Saturday.
- GKIDS will screen the Japanese-language version of Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust with English subtitles in select theaters this fall, with theatrical and home entertainment releases planned for 2027.
- The live-action 5 Centimeters per Second opened in Japan in October 2025, ranked second in its opening weekend, and sold 278,000 tickets earning 420 million yen in its first three days.
- Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust was directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri at Madhouse and is based on Hideyuki Kikuchi's novel series.
Reporting from 2 sources: Anime News Network, Cartoon Brew.
GKIDS announced on Saturday that it has acquired North American rights to two films: the Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust anime and the live-action adaptation of Makoto Shinkai's 5 Centimeters per Second. The distributor will screen the Japanese-language version of Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust with English subtitles in select theaters this fall, ahead of theatrical and home entertainment releases planned for 2027. The 2000 film, directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri at Madhouse, is based on Hideyuki Kikuchi's novel series and follows D, a half-vampire hunter hired to rescue a woman abducted by the vampire Baron Meier Link. Cartoon Brew notes the film was developed with an international audience in mind, with its English soundtrack recorded in Los Angeles before Japanese dialogue was completed. GKIDS will also screen the live-action 5 Centimeters per Second in North American theaters. That film opened in Japan in October 2025, ranking second in its opening weekend with 278,000 tickets sold and 420 million yen earned in three days. SixTONES member Hokuto Matsumura stars, Yoshiyuki Okuyama directs, and Kenshi Yonezu performs the theme song.
- GKIDS announced the pickups at an Anime NYC industry panel, per Cartoon Brew, and will screen the film in a new HD master, with exact dates and home video details due later this year.
- Bloodlust premiered at Montreal's Fantasia International Film Festival in 2000 and received a limited U.S. theatrical release the following year, building a cult following since.
- Kawajiri's other directorial credits include Ninja Scroll and Wicked City; the characters derive from Yoshitaka Amano's illustrations.
- The fall screenings mark the Japanese-language version's North American debut, since prior home video editions from Urban Vision (DVD and VHS in 2002) and Discotek Media (DVD and Blu-ray in 2015) carried only the English dub.
- GKIDS describes the 5 Centimeters per Second film as three interconnected tales of love and lost innocence spanning minutes and months, with Takaki and Akari separated when both families relocate.
- The live-action production credits beyond the director and star: Spoon produced, TOHO distributed, Ayako Suzuki wrote the script, and Ayatake Ezaki composed the music. Kenshi Yonezu's theme song is titled "1991."
- The 5 Centimeters per Second anime opened in Japan in 2007; Shinkai directed, wrote, storyboarded, and served as sound director, producer, and art director, with Tenmon composing.
- The 1985 Vampire Hunter D OVA got a 40th anniversary screening via Iconic Events Releasing and AX Cinema Nights in April 2025, and began streaming on HIDIVE and Shudder in May 2025; Sentai Filmworks released it on Blu-ray in August 2025.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.