Anime Limited has announced that Akira has become the highest grossing classic release of the year so far. Exploding back into cinemas after first captivating audiences across the UK and Ireland 35 years ago, the film has earned over £1 Million – proudly showing that there’s no better place to experience incredible films – old or new – than the cinema. Akira is in cinemas and IMAX now.
Standing alongside major studio blockbusters as the 5th highest grossing film at the UK & IRE box office last week, and the all-time 4th highest UK & IRE opening weekend for an anime film, the legendary anime continues to prove its reputation as a timeless classic.
Watch the film’s trailer in the player below:
On this monumental milestone, Anime Limited Theatrical Product Manager Anna Francis said:
“We’re absolutely thrilled to see AKIRA take over £1,000,000 at the UK & Ireland box office. In recent years we have seen a huge surge in interest for classic anime films in cinemas and AKIRA is one of the best known anime films of all time. The monumental influence of the film is clearer now than ever and the fact it still resonates with audiences today, 38 years after it was initially released in Japan, is a sign of how incredible it is as an enduring work of art. It has been fantastic to see the marketing campaign reach new audiences as well as existing fans and we are sure this is a key reason behind the box office success to date. We have many exciting plans for AKIRA coming up over the next few months and can’t wait to continue working with our wonderful cinema partners to bring AKIRA to more screens in the future.”
In our five star review of the film Matt says “Watching the 4K restoration of AKIRA on the big screen is an experience worth obtaining. Considering the work and scale required to create this in the 1980s, and while some elements may feel dated compared to today’s anime, AKIRA still stands tall among them. The scale of the destruction, the detail in the crumbling skyscrapers, and the sheer horror of the body horror in the final act demand the largest screen possible. It is a visceral, overwhelming experience that reminds you why we go to the movies in the first place: to be dwarfed by something magnificent. If you see a screening near you, do not hesitate; it is a bucket-list cinematic event.”
One of the most influential Sci-Fi stories ever told, Katsuhiro Ôtomo’s AKIRA was a cultural moment that introduced the world to anime. First released in Japan in 1988 and then the UK & Ireland in 1991, AKIRA is widely considered “a vital cornerstone of the cyberpunk genre” (British Film Institute), and on release was declared “a visceral example of the future of animation” (The Washington Post) – an assessment proven true by anime’s rise as a global box office force that rivals even Hollywood blockbusters.
Rebuilt from the ashes of World War III, Neo-Tokyo is a breath-taking, neon-lit metropolis where lawlessness and corruption run rampant. Racing through its streets are Kaneda and Tetsuo, two delinquents and members of a biker gang. When they crash into a secret government plot and Tetsuo is experimented on, the result is an explosive, mesmerising masterpiece of animation that would change cinema forever.
Founded in Glasgow in 2012, Anime Limited are honoured to continue their mission of celebrating unique and original cinema by bringing the film that started it all back to the big screen – including the explosive spectacle of IMAX. Whether you’ve enjoyed AKIRA over the years or are discovering this classic for the very first time, there’s no better way to experience it than on the biggest screen possible, as originally intended. Find your nearest screening at akirafilm.co.uk.
