GKIDS Licenses Vampire Hunter D

GKIDS announced it has acquired the North American rights to the Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust anime film and the live-action film of Makoto Shinkai's 5 Centimeters per Second anime film. According to the announcement made on Saturday, GKIDS will screen the Japanese language version of the Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust film with English subtitles in select screenings this fall, ahead of theatrical and home entertainment releases in 2027.

GKIDS describes the Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust film as a story about a young woman who is seemingly abducted by the vampire Baron Meier Link, and her father hires D - a vampire-hunting Dunpeal - to rescue her. As reported by Crystalyn Hodgkins, the film was inspired by Hideyuki Kikuchi's novels and was directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri at Madhouse.

Background

The Vampire Hunter D original video anime (OVA) was released in 1985, and the Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust film was released in 2000. Discotek Media most recently released Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in 2015, while Urban Vision had previously released the film on DVD and VHS in 2002. Sentai Filmworks released the 1985 OVA on Blu-ray Disc in August 2025, and HIDIVE and Shudder began streaming the OVA in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand in May 2025.

Live-Action Film

The live-action film of 5 Centimeters per Second stars SixTONES member Hokuto Matsumura and was produced by Spoon, with TOHO as the distributor. Yoshiyuki Okuyama directed the film, and Ayako Suzuki wrote the script, with Ayatake Ezaki composing the music and Kenshi Yonezu performing the theme song 1991. GKIDS describes the film as a story about two friends, Takaki and Akari, who become best friends after transferring to the same elementary school, but are forced to separate when their families relocate.

Anime Background

The 5 Centimeters per Second anime opened in Japan in 2007 and was directed, written, and storyboarded by Makoto Shinkai, who also served as the sound director, producer, and art director. Tenmon composed the music for the anime film. The anime film is a story about Takaki and Akari's journey into three interconnected tales of love and lost innocence that span the minutes and months of their lives.

The acquisition of the North American rights to the Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust anime film and the live-action film of 5 Centimeters per Second anime film by GKIDS was reported by Anime News Network, as announced by Crystalyn Hodgkins.