Akira Restored, Re-released in U.S.
Akira, which helped to spearhead the Japanese anime invasion and remains one of its most popular examples, will be restored in preparation for a theatrical re-release in the U.S. this spring. The Long Beach, Calif.-based Pioneer Entertainment, which specializes in Japanese anime has given Intl. Video Conversions a $1 million budget for the restoration work. Pioneer then plans to release the first DVD edition and a new VHS version in the fourth quarter of this year. The restoration work will include a new English dub based on a fresh translation of the original Japanese script, a high-definition master and remixing of the audio components to create a soundtrack in Dolby Digital AC3 Surround Sound.
The film Akira is based on a Japanese comic book by Katsuhiro Otomo about a teenage motorcycle gang in post-World War III Tokyo, one of whose members was given psychic powers as part of a military experiment. At the time of its original 1988 release, it was the most expensive animated film produced in Japan. Akira has previously been released on both VHS and laserdisc.