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 it will be available to watch in English and Japanese (with English subtitles) on both standard and IMAX screens.
It’s been over a year since Anime Limited announced at MCM Comic Con in London that they had acquired AKIRA for a Cinema and 4K Blu-Ray release, and only a month since they reaffirmed the film for a UK cinema release, but we now know that AKIRA will be screened in cinemas on the 17th April 2026. A dedicated website is also live, which we display cinema locations once listings become available, but the film has been confirmed to screen in both standard and IMAX screens in dubbed and subbed formats.
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 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 we at least know that the film will hit cinemas across the UK from 17th April 2026 in both dubbed and subbed formats. A dedicated website is also available and will be updated once tickets become available.
