The good folks over at GKIDS are no strangers to the work of Academy Award-winner Hayao Miyazaki, having stocked amply on a number of his titles for their catalogue. Their latest acquisition was announced this week with the anime auteur’s 1978 directorial debut, Future Boy Conan (Mirai Shounen Conan), which will bow in late 2021, newly restored in digital 4K with both the original Japanese audio and a new English dub track.
Written by Akira Nakano and produced by Junzo Nakajima and Shigeo Endo, the 26-episode adventure is set twenty years after a terrible war fought with magnetic weapons has caused the earth’s axis to tilt, ensuing upticks in earthquakes and tidal waves that have destroyed civilization. For Conan, born into this new world and raised by his adopted grandfather on an isolated island, 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.
Never before released in North America, Future Boy Conan hails from Nippon Animation, who are also handling international sales. The series was exec produced by Koichi Motohashi with character designs by Miyazaki, and Yasuo Otsuka serving as animation director.
“We are thrilled to help bring this legendary series to North America,” said GKIDS President David Jesteadt. “With a beautiful new restoration, now is the perfect time for American fans of director Hayao Miyazaki to experience this classic adventure series as it was meant to be seen.”
Hat tip to Matt Essary (@WheelsCritic) for the update.