SANTA MONICA, Calif.,
Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The
"Ghost in the Shell" franchise has been entertaining audiences for
more than 25 years and this February, Lionsgate and Funimation
Films are partnering together to bring the 1995, groundbreaking
anime film back to theaters for a two-day limited theatrical
engagement. The original "Ghost in the Shell" movie from
acclaimed director Mamoru Oshii, will return to the big screen on
February 7 – 8, 2017 in 110 theaters
across the United States.
Moviegoers will be able to enjoy both the original Japanese version
with subtitles as well as the English dub of the film. Each will be
available on separate days of the engagement, beginning first with
the subtitled version. Tickets are available beginning today
and can be pre-purchased via the official movie website at
funimationfilms.com/ghostintheshell.
Viewed as ahead of its time when it premiered in 1995, "Ghost in
The Shell" quickly turned into a pop culture phenomenon and the
inspiration for future mainstream movies. The movie became the
first anime film to rank #1 on Billboard in video sales, which
currently total more than 1.5 million copies across the franchise.
With the release of "Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie" in 2016 and
a new live action version of "Ghost in the Shell" set to release at
the end of March, there has been a huge resurgence in fan interest
for the franchise worldwide.
"We're excited to be partnering with Lionsgate to bring the
original 'Ghost in the Shell' movie back to U.S. theaters," said
Gen Fukunaga, CEO and founder of Funimation. "'Ghost in the Shell'
is truly a seminal work in anime cinema and it helped firmly
establish a market for the genre with U.S. movie audiences."
"'Ghost in the Shell' is an iconic property and it is great that
fans will be able to watch it on the big screen for the first time
in 20 years,' said Kevin Carney, VP
Marketing Lionsgate. "Many fans will be seeing the movie in a
theater for the first time and Funimation has been a terrific
partner to help make this possible."
Lionsgate will be releasing a new, deluxe collector's edition of
the remastered original on Blu-Ray with Digital HD. This new
edition will feature steelbook packaging and Mondo artwork and will
be available in retail outlets beginning March 7, 2017.
Synopsis
2029 - A female cybernetic government agent, Major Motoko Kusanagi, and the Internal Bureau
of Investigations are hot on the trail of "The Puppet Master," a
mysterious and threatening computer virus capable of infiltrating
human hosts. Together, with her fellow agents from Section 9, they
embark on a high-tech race against time to capture the omnipresent
entity.
For more information on "Ghost in the Shell" visit
funimationfilms.com/ghostintheshell
About Funimation Films
Funimation Films, the theatrical division of Funimation
Entertainment, acquires both anime and live action movies from
prominent international filmmakers that appeal to the interests and
passion of all types of fans and distributes them throughout
North America. The division was
launched in December 2014 following
the box office success of "Dragon Ball Z: Battle of
Gods" that same year. Funimation Films released "Dragon Ball
Z: Resurrection 'F'" a year later and which became #9
highest-grossing anime movie in North
America. Funimation Entertainment is a subsidiary of
Group 1200 Media, a fully integrated, next-generation, independent
entertainment studio based in Dallas. For more information on Funimation
Films, visit funimationfilms.com.
About Lionsgate
Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) is a vertically integrated next
generation global content leader with a diversified presence in
motion picture production and distribution, television programming
and syndication, premium pay television networks, home
entertainment, global distribution and sales, interactive ventures
and games and location-based entertainment.
With the acquisition of Starz, Lionsgate adds to its portfolio
of businesses the flagship STARZ premium pay network serving nearly
25 million subscribers and the STARZ ENCORE platform with over 31
million subscribers. The combined company will operate five
over-the-top (OTT) streaming services and the Starz app delivering
content directly to consumers.
The Company's feature film business spans eight labels and
includes the blockbuster Hunger Games franchise,
the Now You See Me and John
Wick series, the Golden Globe-nominated La
La Land, Hacksaw Ridge and Hell or High Water
(in partnership with CBS Films), Tyler Perry's Boo! A Madea Halloween, Roadside
Attractions' critically-acclaimed Manchester by the Sea, Codeblack
Films' concert film Kevin
Hart: Let Me Explain and Pantelion Films'
Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing
Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S.
One of the largest independent television businesses in the
world, Lionsgate's slate of premium quality series encompasses
nearly 90 shows on more than 40 different networks. These
include the ground-breaking Orange is the New Black, the fan
favorite Nashville, the
syndication success The Wendy Williams Show, the acclaimed
drama The Royals, the acclaimed Casual, the breakout
success Greenleaf and hit Starz series including
Outlander, Black Sails, Survivor's Remorse and
Power, the second highest-rated premium pay television
series of 2016.
Lionsgate's home entertainment business is an industry leader in
box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rates.
Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of more
than 16,000 motion picture and television titles that is an
important source of recurring revenue and serves as a foundation
for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate,
Summit Entertainment and Starz brands are synonymous with original,
daring, quality entertainment in markets around the
world. www.lionsgate.com
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SOURCE Funimation Films