Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira announces theatrical screening of the film’s remastered version in 4K

Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira is set to hold a one-day-only theatrical screening of the film’s 4K remastered version on July 16, 2023. The film was originally released in Japan on July 16, 1988, and will be celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. The screening is set to be part of “EMOTION 40th Anniversary Program.”

Akira’s story is set in Neo-Tokyo, a world formed after an explosion that caused World War III. In this war-torn city, a violent motorcycle gang gets inadvertently drawn into a heinous web of experimentation. In this new world, a biker with a twisted mind embarks on a journey to seek revenge from a society that once called him weak.

Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira set to screen its 4K version in July 2023

#EMOTION40th🗿 Anniversary Program

劇場アニメーション『#AKIRA』が、
公開から35周年の記念日である7月16日(日)に
TOHOシネマズ日比谷にて
4Kリマスター版上映決定🎉https://t.co/cfp4LpL0nG #大友克洋 pic.twitter.com/Q60DO9KB5n

— VSTORAGE（ビー・ストレージ） (@VSTORAGE) June 30, 2023

The original Akira movie was released back on July 16, 1988, in Japan. Now, 35 years after its premiere, the film’s remastered 4K version is set to hold a one-day-only screening at the TOHO Cinemas Hibiya theater, Tokyo, on July 16, 2023, at 4 pm JST.

The screening is set to be part of the “EMOTION 40th Anniversary Program,”which is conducted to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bandai’s “Emotion”label. The label itself was launched back in 1983, making it 40 years since its start. As for the tickets for the 4K-remastered Akira screening, they will go on sale on Friday, July 14, 2023, two days before the screening.

A scene from Akira movie (Image via Tokyo Movie Shinsha)

The anime film was originally written and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. The film was his anime directorial debut and earned 750 million yen during its domestic run, which is about 5.18 million USD. While it was at a loss, considering its one billion yen (6.91 million USD) budget, the film was later considered an anime masterpiece due to its amazing visuals that were outstanding for the time.

Fans responded enthusiastically to the announcement

Anime fans in Japan were excited to learn that the film was set to be screened again in a remastered 4K version. They considered the original movie itself to be a masterpiece. Thus, the opportunity to watch the same in the remastered version in a theater seemed like a dream come true for them.

Screenshot of fan's Tweet (Image via Sportskeeda/Twitter) — Screenshot of fan’s Tweet (Image via Sportskeeda/Twitter)

The announcement also made many fans nostalgic, who had watched the film when it was released in 1988, and are now looking forward to watching it again after 35 years. One fan even said that they would like to watch the film with their child, giving them an experience similar to what they had back then.

Meanwhile, other fans were wondering when the proposed live-action Akira film will be released. While they were excited by the announcement of the 4K version, some fans also expressed their interest in the live-action remake, which was announced back in 2017 by Taika Waititi.