HIDIVE and Shudder have announced that they will bring a digitally remastered version of Vampire Hunter D to theaters across the U.S. and Canada in celebration of the film’s 40th anniversary.
The screenings, scheduled for April 9, 10, and 13, will be presented as part of AX Cinema Nights 2024/2025, in partnership with Iconic Events Releasing.
The re-release will feature a 2015 remaster of the original 1985 anime classic, produced by Sentai Filmworks.
The film will be screened in Japanese with English subtitles on April 9, followed by an English dub on April 10 and an English dub encore screening on April 13.
Following its limited theatrical run, Vampire Hunter D will make its streaming debut on both HIDIVE and Shudder later this year.
“When it was first released, Vampire Hunter D was a stunning landmark in Japanese anime, set in a world of post-apocalyptic horror and fantasy where vampires roam. Now, 40 years later, fans of all ages can experience one of the all-time classic anime films on the big screen,” said Steven Menkin, President and Co-founder of Iconic Events Releasing.
HIDIVE President John Ledford also expressed excitement about the release, stating, “In 1985, Vampire Hunter D cemented its place in cinematic history as a truly genre-defining work of horror. We’re thrilled to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Vampire Hunter D and partner with both Shudder and Iconic Events Releasing to bring this seminal film to both horror and anime fans across the U.S. and Canada.”
Scott Shooman, Head of AMC Networks’ Film Group, echoed the sentiment, saying, “We’re thrilled to be part of a collaboration that will bring Vampire Hunter D, a cult classic genre film, to both theatrical and streaming audiences as part of Iconic’s popular AX Cinema Nights lineup. It’s also a great example of the synergy and strength of our brands, as Shudder and HIDIVE partner on a streaming debut that will share this pivotal film with two of the most passionate fanbases in horror and anime.”
AX Cinema Nights describe the plot of the film as:
In the year 12,090 AD, technology and the supernatural have overtaken the world, leaving the land desolate and despotic. The remnants of humanity are scattered into small communities and live in fear of vampires who compose the ruling Nobility. When Count Magnus Lee tastes the blood of Doris Lang, she is forcibly chosen to be his next wife. In an effort to escape her ill-gotten fate, she hires a mysterious vampire hunter known only as D, who comes from a peculiar lineage.
Vampire Hunter D is a 1985 Japanese fantasy horror OVA film produced by Ashi Productions, in association with Epic/Sony Records, CBS/Sony Group, and Movic.
The screenplay is based on the first in the long-running series of light novels written by Hideyuki Kikuchi.
An English-language version of the OVA was produced in 1992 by Streamline Pictures, and was shown on the fine-arts theatrical circuit in the US in August 1992.
On 16 April 2015, Sentai Filmworks announced their license to the film in North America for digital and home video release. The film was released on 25 Aug 2015 on Blu-ray and DVD with a new English dub.
Source: AX Cinema Nights, HIDIVE
Will the English Dubbed screening feature Streamline’s dub or Sentai’s dub?