US EditionGKids Acquires Japanese Anime ‘ChaO’ for North America
- In June 2025, GKids secured the rights to distribute the anime film ChaO in North America; the company operates under the umbrella of Toho Co., a major Japanese media corporation.
- The acquisition follows GKids' ongoing collaboration with Studio 4C, which had been secretly developing ChaO for seven years as a hand-drawn romantic comedy blending fantasy and futurism.
- ChaO, directed by Yasuhiro Aoki and produced by Eiko Tanaka, tells the story of Stephan, a mild office worker whose life changes when a mermaid princess named ChaO proposes to him.
- David Jesteadt, GKids President, called ChaO a "genre-defying fairy tale" with "outrageous and instantly iconic characters," while producer Tanaka praised the film's artistic vision and ongoing partnership with GKids.
- The film is set to make its competitive debut next week at the Annecy festival in France, followed by a Japanese theatrical release on August 15 and a subsequent rollout in North American cinemas.
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The renowned American distributor GKIDS has acquired distribution rights for North America from ChaO, the new anime film of the prestigious Japanese studio Studio 4°C. This announcement has aroused great expectation in the world of film and animation, as the film has been developed in complete secrecy for seven years. The film will make its world debut at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, which is held in France from 8 to 14 June…
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