Iconic Events Releasing has unveiled new line-up of classic anime films set for theatrical screenings in more than 500 theatres across the U.S. and select Canadian cities as part of the latest edition of AX Cinema Nights (Anime Expo Cinema Nights).
The screenings will take place from September 2024 through Q2 2025, with both subtitled and dubbed versions available for most titles.
Checkout the film schedule and details below:
1. Ninja Scroll 30th Anniversary (HIDIVE)
Screening Dates: Sept. 11 (sub), Sept. 12 (dub), Sept. 15 (encore)
When Jubei saves a young ninja woman from the unthinkable, he assumes that’s the end of it. To his surprise, it’s only just the beginning. Together, the two investigate the mysterious deaths of an entire village which uncovers a conspiracy of demonic proportions! Getting closer to the truth, the demonic forces will stop at nothing to silence Jubei and his companion for good!
2. Osamu Tezuka’s Metropolis 2001 (Sony Pictures)
Screening Dates: Nov. 4 (sub), Nov. 7 (dub), Nov. 10 (encore)
In the late 1940s, long before Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion established Osamu Tezuka as one of the most influential animators of all time, the legendary illustrator created the classic manga Metropolis. Set in the future, Metropolis is a grand city-state populated by humans and robots, the cohabitants of a strictly segmented society. Detective Shunsaku Ban and his sidekick Ken-ichi search for a rebel scientist, to arrest him and seize his latest creation, Tima, a beautiful young girl. But when they locate him, Shunsaku quickly realizes that the eccentric genius is protected by a powerful man and beyond their reach. A retro-futuristic cautionary tale, Metropolis is spectacularly rendered, combining the best in Japanese cel animation with the latest in digital technology.
3. Paprika 4K 15th Anniversary (Sony Pictures Classics)
Screening Dates: Jan. 8 (sub), Jan. 9 (dub), Jan. 12 (encore)
Anime Expo Cinema Nights presents the final film by visionary director Satoshi Kon with his mind-bending thriller, Paprika, which has been restored in 4K for the first time. When a machine that allows therapists to enter their patients’ dreams is stolen, all hell breaks loose. Only a young female therapist, Paprika, can stop it.
4. Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (Sony Pictures)
Screening Dates: Feb. 5 (sub), Feb. 6 (dub), Feb. 9 (encore)
Caught up in a world of dreams, lost in the cruelty of reality. What should have been an easy bounty turns into biological war after a terrorist gets hold of a deadly virus. Drawn in by the pretty price on the mastermind’s head, Spike and the Bebop crew are ready to collect a much-needed reward. Unfortunately, the gang’s about to find themselves in more trouble than money when the terrorist threatens to unleash the virus on Halloween –effectively killing everyone on Mars. With little time and leads that seem more dreamy than helpful, they’ll have to use their own bag of tricks to stop a dangerous plot.
5. BABYMETAL Legend 43 – The Movie (Live Viewing Japan)
Screening Dates: Dec. 11 & Dec. 15
BABYMETAL held their largest scale world tour “BABYMETAL WORLD TOUR 2023 – 2024” from 2023 to 2024. The headline tour, excluding festivals and guest acts, drew a cumulative audience of more than 280,000 people for a total of 98 performances. The final chapter of the world tour, the first Okinawa performance “TOUR FINAL IN JAPAN LEGEND – 43”, has been fully filmed. The film is BABYMETAL’s first live film that allows viewers to experience all the diverse music, unique worldview, production that only a tour final can offer, and the overwhelming performance of BABYMETAL, which has evolved even further during their world tour.
Tickets for these screenings are on sale now.
Anime Expo and Iconic Events Releasing launched AX Cinema Nights earlier in 2022 with the U.S. release of Eleven Art’s Ryoma: Prince of Tennis (2022). AX Cinema Nights is an in-person movie event series that celebrates the best new and classic anime films, bringing them to local theatres across North America.
Source: Press Release