Joseph Luster
June 17, 2021 
Produced by Production I.G and directed by Masashi Ando and Masayuki Miyaji, THE DEER KING anime film is an official selection in competition at this year’s Annecy Film Festival. After that, its next stop is North America.
GKIDS announced the acquisition of the rights for the feature, with more updates on its release to come in the future. For now, you can check out the trailer and synopsis below.
GKIDS is proud to announce the acquisition of the North American rights to THE DEER KING, the latest feature from Production I.G directed by Masashi Ando and Masayuki Miyaji. #TheDeerKing is an official selection in competition at this year’s #AnnecyFestival.🌲#鹿の王 pic.twitter.com/P6W8D3Boeq
— GKIDS Films (@GKIDSfilms) June 17, 2021
Synopsis:
In the years following a vicious war, the Empire of Zol now controls the land and citizens of rival Aquafa – except for Aquafa’s Fire Horse Territory, where wild dogs that once carried the deadly Black Wolf Fever continue to roam free. When a pack of dogs race through a Zol-controlled mine, Van, an enslaved former soldier, and a young girl named Yuna are both bitten, but manage to escape as the sole survivors of the attack. Finally free, Van and Yuna seek out a simple, peaceful existence in the countryside. But as the deadly disease once again runs rampant, they find themselves at the crossroads of a struggle much larger than any one nation. GKIDS is proud to present THE DEER KING, a sweeping fantasy epic, and the directing debut of acclaimed animator Masashi Ando, whose work on such landmark films as Spirited Away, Paprika and Your Name helped shape the world of modern Japanese animation.
