Crunchyroll has officially announced that AKIRA, one of the most influential anime films of all time, will return to theaters in 4K and IMAX across the United States and Canada on September 4, 2026.
Alongside the announcement, Crunchyroll released a brand-new trailer and key visual for the theatrical re-release. The film will be distributed by Crunchyroll in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Fans will have the opportunity to experience AKIRA on the big screen in both its original Japanese audio with English subtitles and an English dubbed version.
The upcoming theatrical release utilizes the film’s 4K remaster, which originally premiered in Japan in May 2020, bringing Katsuhiro Otomo’s cyberpunk masterpiece to IMAX screens for audiences across North America.
Originally released in Japanese theaters in 1988, AKIRA was directed by Katsuhiro Otomo himself and produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha (now TMS Entertainment). Adapted from Otomo’s critically acclaimed manga of the same name, the film became a landmark achievement in animation and helped introduce anime to a global audience.
Over the decades, AKIRA has been widely credited with shaping the cyberpunk genre, inspiring countless filmmakers, game developers, artists, and creators around the world. Its influence can still be seen in modern science fiction films, anime, and video games today.
The story is set in Neo-Tokyo, decades after World War III devastated the world.
The film follows teenage biker gang leader Kaneda, whose closest friend Tetsuo gains terrifying psychic powers after a mysterious accident involving a government experiment. As Tetsuo’s abilities spiral out of control, Kaneda finds himself caught in a conspiracy involving the military, secret experiments, and the fate of Neo-Tokyo itself.
The theatrical re-release offers longtime fans the chance to revisit one of anime’s greatest classics in the highest quality yet, while also giving a new generation an opportunity to experience the film as it was meant to be seen—on the big screen.
About AKIRA
AKIRA is a Japanese cyberpunk manga series written and illustrated by Katsuhiro Otomo. It was serialized in Kodansha’s Weekly Young Magazine from 1982 to 1990 before being collected into six volumes.
The manga was adapted into the groundbreaking 1988 anime film, directed by Otomo himself and animated by Tokyo Movie Shinsha (now TMS Entertainment). Set in the dystopian metropolis of Neo-Tokyo, the story follows teenage biker Kaneda as he attempts to save his friend Tetsuo, whose newly awakened psychic powers threaten to destroy the city.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest animated films ever made, AKIRA played a pivotal role in popularizing anime internationally and remains one of the most influential works in the science fiction and cyberpunk genres.
Crunchyroll streams AKIRA in english dub and subs and describe its plot as:
“Iconic and game-changing, AKIRA is the definitive anime masterpiece! Katsuhiro Otomo’s landmark cyberpunk classic obliterated the boundaries of Japanese animation and forced the world to look into the future. AKIRA’s arrival shattered traditional thinking, creating space for future generations of ground-breaking movies.
July, 1988— World War III breaks loose. Then, in 2019, in megalopolis Tokyo…
As the leader of a group of young, robust delinquents, Kaneda spent his nights tearing through the urban wastes, racing his motorbike against rival groups. One night while riding with his gang, his friend Tetsuo suddenly encounters a strange boy― the product of human experimentation— and is injured in the ensuing crash. Shortly thereafter, a military squadron appears on the scene to take the boy and Tetsuo away to an army research facility.
Determined to free Tetsuo from capture, Kaneda sneaks into the army research lab. However, a regimen of extreme experimental procedures has awakened a new power in his friend, and now he is consumed by madness…“
Source: Crunchyroll News
