Oct 19, 2016

GKIDS will expand "Miss Hokusai" to more than 85 theaters this weekend

GKIDS opened Miss Hokusai, directed by Keiichi Hara (Colorful, Summer Days with Coo) and produced by Ghost in the Shell maker Production I.G, in two theaters last weekend, but the big launch is yet to come.

Miss Hokusai will start screening in more than 85 U.S. theaters this Friday, followed by an expansion in an additional 20 theaters in the U.S. and Canada on Friday, October 28.

The PG-13 rated Miss Hokusai debuted with a promising $24,524 in its two-theater New York and Los Angeles launch last weekend, giving it the third-highest per-theater average of any film playing in the United States. GKIDS is pushing the historical coming-of-age tale about the daughter of Japanese illustration legend Hokusai for the animated feature category at the Academy Awards.

The film was adapted by screenwriter Miho Maruo from Hinako Sugiura's manga Sarusuberi (both screenwriter and original manga artist are women, a GKIDS press release points out). Released theatrically last year in Japan, Miss Hokusai was well received on the festival and awards circuit, winning the jury prize at Annecy, the top jury and audience awards at Fantasia Film Festival, and best animated feature at both Sitges and the Asia Pacifica Screen Awards.

Here is the official GKIDS synopsis:

See the GKIDS web site for a complete list of theaters screening the film this weekend.