GKIDS
GKIDS is an American distributor specializing in international animated films, Studio Ghibli titles, anime, and selected independent cinema.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
GKIDS, Inc. is a United States-based film and television distribution company headquartered in New York City. Founded in 2008 by Eric Beckman, the company built its identity around bringing acclaimed international animation and filmmaker-driven cinema to North American audiences. Its name is commonly explained as an acronym for “Guerrilla Kids International Distribution Syndicate,” reflecting the company’s independent, festival-oriented origins. Beckman had previously co-founded and operated the New York International Children’s Film Festival, and GKIDS initially drew on that ecosystem of curators, filmmakers, and animation enthusiasts. Its early releases included the French animated feature Azur & Asmar, while its first major breakthrough came with the 2010 North American release of The Secret of Kells. The film’s Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature gave the relatively small distributor national visibility and established a pattern that became central to its reputation: identifying ambitious, visually distinctive animated films that could compete for major awards despite limited conventional studio infrastructure. GKIDS received two additional Best Animated Feature nominations for the 2011 films Chico and Rita and A Cat in Paris. Their simultaneous recognition was unusual for an independent distributor and reinforced GKIDS’s positioning as a specialist in sophisticated, internationally produced animation. The company’s catalog has included European animation, Japanese anime, independent American projects, documentary and event cinema, and films aimed at both family and adult audiences. Although animation remains its defining focus, GKIDS has also distributed selected live-action and hybrid projects. A major turning point arrived in 2011, when GKIDS acquired North American theatrical distribution rights to the Studio Ghibli library from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. GKIDS subsequently handled theatrical releases for several new or newly localized Studio Ghibli films, including From Up on Poppy Hill, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, and When Marnie Was There, as well as first North American theatrical releases for Only Yesterday and Ocean Waves. In 2017, the company announced that it had acquired North American home-video rights to most of the Studio Ghibli catalog, with specific exceptions and rights transitions occurring over time. This transformed GKIDS from a respected boutique distributor into the principal U.S. home-entertainment and theatrical steward for one of animation’s most valuable libraries. The company expanded its audience-development model through Studio Ghibli Fest, an annual theatrical program launched in partnership with Fathom Events in 2017. The event presents repertory screenings, dubbed and subtitled editions, and selected anniversary programming in cinemas across the United States. GKIDS has also licensed and distributed major anime properties, including the Neon Genesis Evangelion television series and related films, and partnered with TMS Entertainment on the North American release of Lupin III: The First. GKIDS’s distribution strategy combines theatrical releases, home entertainment, streaming and television licensing, repertory programming, festival relationships, and event cinema. In 2022, it announced a content partnership with Tubi, expanding the availability of its catalog through a free, ad-supported streaming platform. It also acquired North American home-video distribution rights for several earlier films by Japanese director Makoto Shinkai, including Voices of a Distant Star, The Place Promised in Our Early Days, 5 Centimeters per Second, and Children Who Chase Lost Voices. The Boy and the Heron became an especially important milestone. Distributed in North America by GKIDS, Hayao Miyazaki’s film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in March 2024, becoming the first GKIDS theatrical release to receive that award. In October 2024, Toho announced an agre…
History
GKIDS was established in 2008 by Eric Beckman, a co-founder and former operator of the New York International Children’s Film Festival. The company was created to distribute ambitious international animation and independent cinema that did not fit the dominant U.S. studio model. Its early activity included the English-language release of the French film Azur & Asmar, but its first major breakthrough was The Secret of Kells. The Secret of Kells reached North American audiences in 2010 and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature. GKIDS followed that success with Chico and Rita and A Cat in Paris, both of which were nominated in the same category at the 84th Academy Awards. The achievement was notable because GKIDS was an independent specialist rather than a major Hollywood distributor. These nominations helped establish the company’s reputation for finding visually distinctive, critically respected animation from outside the mainstream American studio system. In September 2011, GKIDS announced that it had acquired North American theatrical distribution rights to the Studio Ghibli library, rights previously associated with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The arrangement made GKIDS a central theatrical distributor for Studio Ghibli in North America. It also handled theatrical distribution for subsequent Ghibli productions such as From Up on Poppy Hill, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, and When Marnie Was There, while bringing Only Yesterday and Ocean Waves to North American theaters for the first time. The company’s relationship with Studio Ghibli expanded in 2017, when GKIDS announced the transition of North American home-media rights for most of the Ghibli catalog from Disney. Grave of the Fireflies and The Wind Rises were subject to separate rights arrangements at that stage. GKIDS later issued The Wind Rises on digital platforms and physical media, and eventually released Grave of the Fireflies on home video after obtaining the relevant rights. The catalog business gave GKIDS a durable consumer-facing foundation beyond individual theatrical releases. Since 2017, GKIDS has partnered with Fathom Events on Studio Ghibli Fest, a recurring program of theatrical screenings in selected cinema chains and venues. The festival format supports both new audiences and repertory viewing, with films presented in subtitled and dubbed versions and often tied to anniversaries or seasonal programming. The event did not operate in 2020. GKIDS has also expanded beyond Studio Ghibli. In 2020, it partnered with TMS Entertainment on the North American release of Lupin III: The First, a computer-animated feature based on the Lupin the Third franchise. Later in 2020, GKIDS announced licensing arrangements for the Neon Genesis Evangelion television series and the films Death (True)2 and The End of Evangelion. In 2022, it announced a Tubi content partnership and secured home-video rights for several earlier works by Makoto Shinkai. The company’s catalog has included European animation, Japanese anime, independent American animation, documentaries, and selected non-animated works. Its releases have frequently been associated with strong critical reception and awards attention, although individual titles have had mixed commercial and critical results. GKIDS has been characterized by industry observers as an important U.S. distributor of traditional and international animation, using curation, festival exposure, theatrical events, and premium physical editions rather than competing directly with large studios on production scale. The Boy and the Heron marked the company’s most prominent awards achievement. The film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in March 2024, making it the first GKIDS theatrical release to win that prize. In October 2024, Toho announced its plan to acquire GKIDS. The deal closed in 2025, with GKIDS becoming a subsidiary of Toho International. The transaction placed GKIDS within the wider Toho corporate group while preserving its role as a specialist distributor of animation and selected independent film.
- 2025
GKIDS becomes a Toho International subsidiary
[1]Toho completes its acquisition of GKIDS.
- 2024
The Boy and the Heron wins Best Animated Feature
[1]The Boy and the Heron becomes the first GKIDS theatrical release to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
- 2022
GKIDS enters a Tubi content partnership
[1]The partnership extends selected GKIDS programming to Tubi’s streaming service.
- 2022
GKIDS licenses early Makoto Shinkai films
[1]GKIDS announces North American home-video plans for four earlier Makoto Shinkai works.
- 2020
GKIDS distributes Lupin III: The First
[1]In partnership with TMS Entertainment, GKIDS handles the American and Canadian release of Lupin III: The First.
- 2020
GKIDS licenses Neon Genesis Evangelion
[1]GKIDS announces licensing of the Evangelion television series and related films for a planned 2021 release.
- 2017
GKIDS launches Studio Ghibli Fest
[1]GKIDS and Fathom Events begin an annual program of Studio Ghibli theatrical screenings.
- 2017
GKIDS expands into Studio Ghibli home media
[1]GKIDS announces the transfer of most North American home-video rights for the Studio Ghibli catalog.
- 2012
Chico and Rita and A Cat in Paris receive Academy Award nominations
[1]Two GKIDS releases are nominated for Best Animated Feature in the same awards cycle.
- 2011
GKIDS obtains North American Studio Ghibli theatrical rights
[1]The company announces the acquisition of North American theatrical distribution rights to the Studio Ghibli library.
Products and positioning
A boutique, curator-led distributor bringing acclaimed international animation, anime, Studio Ghibli films, and selected independent cinema to mainstream North American audiences through theatrical, home-entertainment, streaming, and event-cinema channels.
Theatrical distribution · 2008
International animated feature distribution
GKIDS’s core business is the North American theatrical distribution of animated films produced outside the dominant U.S. studio system. Its releases have included European animation, Japanese productions, independent projects, and award-oriented films. The company generally emphasizes filmmaker identity, festival recognition, critical positioning, and carefully selected theatrical runs rather than mass-market volume.
Film library distribution · 2011
Studio Ghibli catalog
The Studio Ghibli catalog is GKIDS’s most prominent library relationship. The company distributes many Ghibli titles theatrically in North America and manages most North American home-video rights, subject to title-specific arrangements. The catalog includes internationally recognized works by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and other Studio Ghibli filmmakers.
Event cinema · 2017
Studio Ghibli Fest
Studio Ghibli Fest is an annual theatrical program produced with Fathom Events. It presents selected Studio Ghibli films in participating cinemas, often combining English-dubbed and subtitled screenings with anniversary, seasonal, or repertory programming. The format gives catalog films recurring theatrical exposure beyond their original release windows.
Anime distribution · 2020
Anime television and film licensing
GKIDS distributes and licenses selected anime films and television properties, including Neon Genesis Evangelion and related films, Lupin III: The First, and works by Makoto Shinkai. These activities extend the company beyond family animation into established Japanese franchises and auteur-driven anime.
Content licensing · 2022
Streaming and television licensing
GKIDS licenses selected films and series to streaming and television platforms. Its 2022 partnership with Tubi illustrates the company’s effort to supplement theatrical and physical-media distribution with digital availability.
Marketing campaigns
- 2017Studio Ghibli Fest
United States
GKIDS partnered with Fathom Events to create a recurring theatrical program for Studio Ghibli films, using event screenings to bring catalog titles back to cinemas.
Outcome. The program became an ongoing part of GKIDS’s audience-development and repertory-distribution strategy, with screenings in multiple cinema chains and venues.
Brand decisions
2024
Toho agrees to acquire GKIDSM&ABackground
GKIDS had developed a significant North American position in animation, Studio Ghibli distribution, anime licensing, and event cinema.
Action taken
Toho announced its intention to acquire GKIDS for an undisclosed amount.
Aftermath
The transaction was completed in 2025, and GKIDS became a subsidiary of Toho International.
2020
GKIDS licenses Neon Genesis EvangelionProduct launchBackground
The Evangelion television series and related films are influential Japanese animation properties with an established international audience.
Action taken
GKIDS announced licensing arrangements covering the television series and the films Death (True)2 and The End of Evangelion.
Aftermath
The agreement broadened GKIDS’s anime portfolio beyond standalone art-house and family animation.
2017
GKIDS expands into Studio Ghibli home mediaStrategyBackground
North American home-media rights for much of the Studio Ghibli catalog had been associated with Disney.
Action taken
GKIDS announced plans to reissue most of the catalog on home video, while specified exceptions remained under separate rights arrangements.
Aftermath
GKIDS became the principal North American home-video distributor for most Studio Ghibli titles and expanded the commercial value of its library business.
2011
GKIDS takes over North American Studio Ghibli theatrical distributionStrategyBackground
The Studio Ghibli library had previously been distributed theatrically in North America through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Action taken
GKIDS announced that it had acquired North American theatrical distribution rights to the Studio Ghibli catalog.
Aftermath
The arrangement made GKIDS a leading North American theatrical distributor of Studio Ghibli films and supported subsequent releases of new and previously unavailable titles.
Recent events
GKIDS acquires North American distribution rights to Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust[2]
Reported:
GKIDS, the Toho-owned distributor, announced during an Anime NYC industry panel that it has acquired North American distribution rights to Yoshiaki Kawajiri's gothic anime feature Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, with theatrical and home entertainment releases planned for 2027 and select Japanese-language screenings with English subtitles this fall.
GKIDS acquires North American rights to Future Boy Conan[3]
Reported:
GKIDS acquired the North American rights to the television series Future Boy Conan. The article says this will be the series' first availability in North America and that it had received a new 4K restoration and English dubbed audio track.
GKIDS acquires North American rights to Belle[4]
Reported:
GKIDS acquired North American rights to Studio Chizu’s film Belle. The article says GKIDS would release the film theatrically in Japanese and English-dubbed versions that winter.
GKIDS acquires North American rights to Neon Genesis Evangelion[5]
GKIDS announced that it had acquired North American theatrical, home-video and EST rights to Neon Genesis Evangelion and related films. The release states that the deal was finalized on October 3, 2020.
GKIDS acquires North American distribution rights to Earwig and the Witch[6]
Reported:
GKIDS announced that it had acquired the North American distribution rights for Studio Ghibli’s feature Earwig and the Witch.
- Unconfirmed
GKIDS acquires North American rights to On-Gaku: Our Sound[7]
Reported:
GKIDS acquired North American rights to the Japanese animated film “On-Gaku: Our Sound.” A release later in 2020 was planned.
Sources8 sources
- 1GKIDSen.wikipedia.org
- 2GKIDS 收购《吸血鬼猎人D：血欲》北美发行权cartoonbrew.com
- 3GKIDS获得《未来少年柯南》北美地区版权darkhorizons.com
- 4GKIDS 获得《Belle》北美发行权screendaily.com
- 5GKIDS获得《新世纪福音战士》北美发行权animenewsnetwork.com
- 6GKIDS取得《阿雅与魔女》北美发行权comingsoon.net
- 7GKIDS取得《On-Gaku: Our Sound》北美发行权variety.com
- 8GKids acquires Studio Chizu’s Cannes premiere ‘Belle’screendaily.com
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