News

GKIDS Acquires N. American Theatrical Rights for Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence Film

GKIDS announced on Twitter on Wednesday that it has acquired the North American theatrical rights to Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence film. A new 4K restoration of the film will first premiere at the Chicago Critic's Film Festival this summer before a wide release.

GKIDS describes the film's story:

In the year 2032, the line between humans and machines has been blurred almost beyond distinction. A string of murders perpetrated by a prototype android model has drawn the attention of Public Security Section 9, a unit specializing in counter cyber-terrorism. With none of the victims' families pressing charges, suspicions arise regarding the nature of the androids and their production company. In the course of the investigation, the almost entirely cyber-bodied agent Batou, and his still human partner Togusa embark on a journey through a technological dystopia, taking on ferocious Yakuza thugs, devious hackers, government bureaucrats, and corporate criminals to uncover the shocking truth behind the crime.

The theatrical screenings will coincide with the 20th anniversary of the film.

The 2004 film is a sequel to Oshii's earlier Ghost in the Shell 1995 anime film, which adapts Masamune Shirow's manga of the same name. Mamoru Oshii directed the film and Oshii wrote the screenplay. Production I.G worked on both films.

Go Fish Pictures released the film on DVD with English subtitles in 2004. Manga Entertainment released the film with an English dub on DVD in the United Kingdom in 2006. Bandai Entertainment then released the film on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in 2009 with a slightly modified English dub cast from Manga Entertainment's dub.

In 2016, Funimation obtained the rights for the film and rereleased it on DVD and Blu-ray.

Update: Anniversary information corrected. Thanks, Romuska.

Sources: GKIDS' Twitter account, GKIDS' Ghost in the Shell 2 website