Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘Future Boy Conan’ To Get First-Ever North American Release This Year

More than 43 years after debuting on Japanese tv, Hayao Miyazaki’s influential series Future Boy Conan is finally coming to North America. GKIDS will release the series in late 2021 with a new 4k restoration and English dub, as well as a subtitled version. The distributor has confirmed that the show will get a Blu-ray.

Future Boy Conan is the only series Miyazaki has directed in its entirety, and the last of his major works to receive a North American release. Based on American author Alexander Key’s novel The Incredible Tide, it tells the story of a young boy, raised on a remote island in a post-apocalyptic world, who embarks on an adventure in search of an abducted girl.

The 26-episode series, which was produced by Nippon Animation, aired in Japan in 1978 — the year before the release of Miyazaki’s feature directorial debut, The Castle of Cagliostro. It has been cited as an inspiration by many artists and filmmakers, both in and outside Japan. Confirmed fans include Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar, Parasite director Bong Joon-Ho, and Enrico Casarosa, who has spoken of the show’s influence on his recent Pixar feature Luca.

GKIDS has distributed the bulk of the Studio Ghibli library, including world-famous Miyazaki films like Spirited Away and Ponyo, as well as many other acclaimed animated titles. Its far smaller portfolio of series includes Neon Genesis Evangelion, which it has yet to release, and the Ghibli co-production Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter.