The Cult of Cyberpunk Returns: Sony and Crunchyroll to Re-release "Akira" in 4K and IMAX

The restored version of Katsuhiro Otomo's film will be released in early September.

The full return of Katsuhiro Otomo's masterpiece to the big screen will take place on September 4, 2026 – the film will be shown in cinemas in the USA and Canada in an updated 4K and IMAX format.

The original animated film, based on the manga of the same name, was released in 1988 and became one of the most important works in the history of cyberpunk, having a huge impact on world pop culture, Hollywood directors, and the comic book industry. The plot tells the story of Neo-Tokyo in 2019, where biker Kaneda tries to save his friend Tetsuo, who has acquired destructive parapsychological abilities as a result of government experiments.

At first glance, the news concerns the Western market, but the practice of recent years shows that such 4K restorations often reach domestic distribution as well. For example, the updated version of Hayao Miyazaki's "Kiki's Delivery Service" was released in a number of countries on July 2, and on July 16, it will be released in Russian cinemas with new dubbing. Given the high demand for cult Japanese animation, the updated "Akira" has every chance of a quick re-release in Russia.