GKIDS Bringing Satoshi Kon’s ‘Perfect Blue’ Back To Theaters In 4K

GKIDS has announced that it will release a new 4K restoration of Perfect Blue, the landmark debut feature from late director Satoshi Kon, in U.S. cinemas starting October 3. The indie distributor revealed the news during its panel at Anime NYC over the weekend.

Originally released in Japan in 1998, Perfect Blue quickly became a cult classic and remains one of the most beloved animated films of its era. The psychological thriller follows Mima Kirigoe, a former pop idol whose career shift into acting spirals into a harrowing exploration of identity, celebrity, and obsession. The film’s fractured narrative and themes of media distortion remain startlingly relevant nearly three decades after its debut.

(Note: The trailer below is from 2018, so it’s not the 4K version that will hit theaters in October.)

Kon, who went on to direct Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, and Paprika, completed only a handful of projects before his death in 2010. His influence, however, continues to resonate across animation and live-action cinema alike.

GKIDS, purchased by Japanese entertainment giant Toho last year, has established itself as a key curator of auteur-driven animation with a particularly keen eye for anime titles, previously overseeing the Studio Ghibli library and releasing works from directors including Mamoru Hosoda, Tomm Moore, and Masaaki Yuasa. Among its recent successes were the distribution of Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning The Boy and the Heron and the physical media release of Netflix’s Emmy-winning series Arcane. The company also recently closed a major deal to bring 20 standout animated and live-action features to HBO Max.

With the Perfect Blue 4K re-release, GKIDS reinforces its dedication to bringing key titles from animation history to the big screen for new and returning audiences.