The cinematic influential sci-fi masterpiece AKIRA returns to cinemas across the UK and Ireland courtesy of Anime Limited on the 17th April 2026, and cinema tickets are now available to book online at particpating cinema chains.
A dedicated website is also live, which will display cinema locations at cinema chains across the country, and the film is expected to screen in English and Japanese (with English subtitles) on both standard and IMAX screens in 4K.
About: Iconic and game-changing, AKIRA is the definitive anime masterpiece! Katsuhiro Otomo’s landmark cyberpunk classic obliterated the boundaries of Japanese animation and forced the world to look into the future. AKIRA’s arrival shattered traditional thinking, creating space for future generations of ground-breaking movies.
July, 1988— World War III breaks loose. Then, in 2019, in megalopolis Tokyo…
As the leader of a group of young robust delinquents, Kaneda spent his nights tearing through the urban wastes, racing his motorbike against rival groups. One night while riding with his gang, his friend Tetsuo suddenly encounters a strange boy― the product of human experimentation— and is injured in the ensuing crash. Shortly thereafter, a military squadron appears on the scene to take the boy and Tetsuo away to an army research facility. Determined to free Tetsuo from capture, Kaneda sneaks into the army research lab. However, a regimen of extreme experimental procedures has awakened a new power in his friend, and now he is consumed by madness…
AKIRA was originally released in the UK by Manga Entertainment (who later became FUNimation and then eventually Crunchyroll) and has received multiple VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray, 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Cinema releases throughout the years, but back in October 2024 Anime Limited announced they had secured the UK distribution rights to the film for both cinema and home video with plans for both a cinema and 4K UHD Blu-Ray release.
As it stands a home video release details have yet to be announced, but the film will hit cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 17th April 2026 in both dubbed and subbed formats with tickets now available to book online through the dedicated website.
