Photo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd. ©SHUICHI YOSHIDA/ASP ©2025
Source: GKIDS
Official Site: kokuhou-movie.com (Japan), https://gkids.com/films/kokuho/ (US)
Academy Award-winning producer and distributor GKIDS announced today it has acquired all North American rights to KOKUHO (国宝, 2025). Recently announced as Japan’s official submission for Best International Feature at the 98th Academy Awards, the smash-hit live action feature is directed by Sang-Il Lee, and stars Ryo Yoshizawa (KINGDOM), Ryusei Yokohama (YOUR EYES TELL), and Ken Watanabe (THE LAST SAMURAI, GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS). The film is produced by Aniplex Inc. in association with Myriagon Studio, Amuse Inc., Toho Co Ltd., Lawson Inc. and Credeus, and international sales are handled by Pyramide International. GKIDS will release KOKUHO in North American theaters early next year.
Upon its domestic release in Japan in June, KOKUHO has become a box office phenomenon, grossing $79 million (8.17 million admissions) as of August 24th, marking the film as the second-highest grossing Japanese live-action film of all time. KOKUHO held its world debut at Cannes in Directors’ Fortnight and subsequently played as an official selection at the Shanghai International Film Festival. Next week, the film will make its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Following this year’s release of Japanese live action cult classics LOVE & POP, LINDA LINDA LINDA and SHIN GODZILLA by GKIDS, KOKUHO marks the company’s first contemporary live action title.
Synopsis
Nagasaki, 1964 – After the death of his father, the leader of a yakuza gang, 14-year-old Kikuo is taken under the wing of a famous Kabuki actor. Alongside Shunsuke, the actor’s only son, he decides to dedicate himself to this traditional form of theatre. For decades, the two young men grow and evolve together – from acting school to the grandest stages – amid scandals and glory, brotherhood and betrayals… one of them will become the greatest Japanese master of the art of kabuki.
Photo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd. ©SHUICHI YOSHIDA/ASP ©2025
“From the very first scene, I was completely taken with KOKUHO,” said GKIDS’ President David Jesteadt. “Its combination of an epic decades-spanning story with some of the most beautiful Kabuki scenes put to film have made it one of the most unique and enthralling films I have seen, and audiences clearly agree. I am honored that we can share such a film with American audiences.”
The deal was negotiated between David Jesteadt of GKIDS, and Agathe Mauruc of Pyramide International.
For more on KOKUHO, see the Toho Press Notes and Photo Gallery here on SciFi Japan.
KOKUHO
Director: Sang-Il LEE
Screenplay: Satoko OKUDERA
Original Novel by: Shuichi YOSHIDA
Executive Producers: Atsuhiro IWAKAMI, Nobuhiko ITO, Hiroyuki ARAKI, Minami ICHIKAWA, Akihito WATANABE, & Shinzo MATSUHASHI
Developed and Produced by: Chieko MURATA
Producer: Shinzo MATSUHASHI
Cast: Ryo Yoshizawa, Ryusei Yokohama, Soya Kurokawa, Keitatsu Koshiyama, Mitsuki Takahata, Nana Mori, Shinobu Terajima, Min Tanaka, Ken Watanabe
Photo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd.©SHUICHI YOSHIDA/ASP ©2025
About GKIDS
GKIDS is the Academy Award-winning producer and distributor of artist-driven and award-winning animation from around the world. After an astounding 13 Best Animated Feature nominations, the company took home the Oscar in 2024 for Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli’s acclaimed feature, THE BOY AND THE HERON. The company’s previous nominations include THE SECRET OF KELLS in 2010, A CAT IN PARIS and CHICO & RITA in 2012, ERNEST & CELESTINE in 2014, THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA and SONG OF THE SEA in 2015, BOY AND THE WORLD and WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE in 2016, MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI in 2017, THE BREADWINNER in 2018, MIRAI in 2019, WOLFWALKERS in 2021, and THE BOY AND THE HERON in 2024.
For more than a decade, GKIDS’ influence on cinema has redefined the perception of animation as an artistic medium on par with live-action film through its stewardship of the Studio Ghibli catalog and by introducing American audiences to the critically-acclaimed films of other master filmmakers from around the world such as Makoto Shinkai (WEATHERING WITH YOU), Mamoru Hosoda (BELLE), Masaaki Yuasa (INU-OH), Tomm Moore (WOLFWALKERS), Hideaki Anno (NEON GENESIS EVANGELION), Nora Twomey (THE BREADWINNER), Satoshi Kon (PERFECT BLUE) and Hiroyuki Imaishi (Promare), among countless others. GKIDS is also the founder and host of ANIMATION IS FILM, the annual LA-based film festival which embraces the highest aspirations of animation as a cinematic art form, and is a vocal advocate for filmmakers who push the boundaries of the medium to its fullest range of artistic expressions.