GKIDS announced at an Anime NYC industry panel this weekend that they’ve acquired North American rights to Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s 2000 cult anime film Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.
The rarely-screened gothic horror classic will get a full theatrical release in 2027, followed by a home media release, per their socials.
Of course, details beyond that remain scarce at this point, but it is expected to be an HD master of the 2000 film.
In Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, “In a dark and distant future, when the undead have arisen from apocalyptic ashes, an original story unfolds. Ten thousand years in the future, vampires rule the night. They once ruled outright but their numbers are in decline. Vampire hunters now threaten the vampires with extinction.”
It’s based on the “Demon Deathcase” run of the manga created by writer Hideyuki Kikuchi and artist Yoshitaka Amano in 1983.
It’s described as “An out-and-out surreal dreamscape. The world that we are thrown into is one of wonder. With every new character introduced, we are given the pleasure of discovering a fascinating new supernatural creature to be enamored by,” in Bloody Disgusting’s retrospective. “The mixture of gonzo supernatural elements with blade ballet and immortal acrobatics will entrance you and plant a smile firmly on your face.”
Select Japanese language screenings head to theaters this fall, but expect to hear more about GKIDS’ re-release of Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust in the coming months.
