'Children Of The Sea' Gets August Fathom Screenings, September Home Release

American animation distributor GKIDS Films has been pretty quiet for the first half of 2020, for obvious reasons. With theatrical distribution their bread-and-butter, and cinemas going dark due to the pandemic, their original plans for this year had to be put on hold. Now though, as America is in the process of gradual reopening, GKIDS are giving you something to look forward to.

First came the virtual theatrical release of Marona's Fantastic Tale.  Next up, one of this spring's planned GKIDS releases that had to be indefinitely put on hold is back on the agenda. Children Of The Sea from Studio 4℃  is a critically acclaimed adaptation of the manga of the same name directed by Ayumu Watanabe and featuring music by Joe Hisaishi.

When Ruka was younger, she saw a ghost in the water at the aquarium where her dad worked. Now she feels drawn toward the aquarium and the two mysterious boys she meets there, Umi and Sora, who were raised by dugongs and hear the same strange calls from the sea as she does. As the kids get caught up in the mystery behind the sudden worldwide disappearance of the ocean's fish, they uncover cosmic connections that will change them forever.

The original April Fathom Events release had to be cancelled, but new dates have now been announced for this summer. Limited Event Screenings will take place across the country on August 10 and 11, with both dubbed and subtitled versions screening. More details are to be confirmed later.



If your local cinema won't be reopening, or if you (like many others) don't feel safe to return to the multiplex just yet, then the home release is not far behind. GKIDS and Shout Factory have announced the film will be available on Blu-Ray/DVD Combo,  Standalone DVD and Digital formats from September 1. All formats will include bonus features, but the Blu-Ray edition will also feature an exclusive feature-length making of documentary.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Exclusive feature-length documentary "Turep - Looking for Children of the Sea"*
• Interview with director Ayumu Watanabe
• Interview with composer Joe Hisaishi
• Animatic Sequences
• Behind the Scenes featurette
• Theatrical Trailers
*Blu-Ray Edition only

Children Of The Sea is available to pre-order here. 

Also due on September 1, GKIDS and Shout Factory are also teaming up on a new Blu-Ray and DVD release of Hayao Miyazaki's most recent film, 2013's The Wind Rises. Due to US rights issues, the Oscar-nominated film has been missing from their GKIDS Collection until now. The film will be released as a Blu-Ray and DVD Combo pack, standalone DVD and digital, and will come to streaming on HBO Max later this year.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Exclusive Booklet
• Feature-Length Storyboards*
• 10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki Documentary Episode*
• Behind the Microphone
• Film Completion Press Conference
• Original Theatrical Trailers
• TV Spots 

*Blu-Ray Edition only

Available to Preorder here.

Shout Factory have also announced an October 6 release for the Blu-Ray Edition, digital and Blu-Ray Ultimate Edition of the previously Netflix exclusive Production IG series B: The Beginning. Produced in association with the UK's Anime Limited (who will release the series in the UK and Ireland), the limited edition Ultimate edition will include the full series on Blu-ray and DVD, The CD soundtrack, a 180 page hardback artbook and bonus artcards. The standard Blu-Ray DVD Combo pack also includes a poster and artcards, and both editions feature on-disc special features including the pilot film that inspired the series.

The Ultimate edition is available to preorder here.  The UK release date is yet to be confirmed.