Hayao Miyazaki's 1978 TV anime series Future Boy Conan is finally getting an official North American release courtesy of GKIDS.
GKIDS' release of Future Boy Conan is expected to arrive in late 2021. The arthouse animation distributor will release the series with a brand new 4K restoration, as well as an English dub.
GKIDS is proud to announce the acquisition of the North American rights to FUTURE BOY CONAN, the debut series from the legendary Hayao Miyazaki! ✨#FutureBoyConan arrives in late 2021 for the first time ever in North America with an all-new 4K restoration and English dub. ? pic.twitter.com/cYbRu8w8KZ
— GKIDS Films (@GKIDSfilms) July 8, 2021
The official summary of Future Boy Conan is as follows:
Twenty years ago, a terrible war fought with magnetic weapons caused the earth’s axis to tilt, and earthquakes and tidal waves destroyed civilization. Conan is born into this new world, raised by his adopted grandfather on an isolated island. But his life is forever changed when a mysterious girl named Lana washes ashore, pursued by shadowy operatives who seek to use her in a new scheme to control what’s left of the world.
The directorial debut of Academy Award®-winner Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) is a landmark in animation history. This delightful sci-fi adventure series, beloved worldwide but never before released in North America, features a new English language version and 4K digital restoration.
Future Boy Conan was produced by Nippon Animation and is loosely based on the 1970 American science fiction novel The Incredible Tide by Alexander Key. The series ran for 26 episodes and received two theatrical compilation films, as well as a 1999 spin-off series from a different production team, Future Boy Conan II: Taiga Adventure.
As the first major directorial work spearheaded by Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, it has been one of the most in-demand anime classics to have never seen a proper release in the United States up until this point. Streamline Pictures attempted to release two dubbed VHS collections in the '90s, but the estate of Alexander Key blocked any American release on copyright grounds.
Future Boy Conan's influence can be seen not only in the later films of Hayao Miyazaki, but across the world of animation. The first episode of Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! recreated scenes from Future Boy Conan, making it the anime that inspires protagonist Midori Asakusa to want to direct. Director Enrico Casarosa has cited it as a major visual influence on Luca.
Specific details for the release of Future Boy Conan have yet to be announced, though a Blu-ray set is expected and a streaming release of some kind is likely. GKIDS' official website for Future Boy Conan also includes a contact link for theatrical booking inquiries, so event screenings in theaters are a possibility.
Source: GKIDS
