Neon Genesis Evangelion is considered one of the most iconic animes in history. It is the first anime I ever saw and it got me hooked. Now on its 25th anniversary, GKIDS announces they have acquired the rights to the TV series and the 2 original films for a blu-ray release in 2021. This will be the first time the series has appeared on blu-ray in North America. Most recently the series made its streaming debut on Netflix with a reworked dub.
Fans of the series were upset over changes in localization that occurred with the Netflix dub that changed several scenes meaning in not so subtle ways. We also don’t recommend dumping your DVDs just yet. We have yet to confirm whether this set will contain the original dub or the new one and what extras from the platinum edition of the DVDs it might have as well. However, it is still exciting to see an HD edition of the original series coming to blu-ray. Check out the press release below from GKIDS and visit the official GKIDS Evangelion page to sign up to be notified of when the pre-ordering begins.
(Press Release) GKIDS, the acclaimed producer and distributor of animation for adult and family audiences, announced it has acquired North American theatrical, home video and EST rights to the critically-acclaimed NEON GENESIS EVANGELION. Included in the landmark deal are the original twenty-six episode television series, NEON GENESIS EVANGELION, as well as the films EVANGELION: DEATH (TRUE)2 and THE END OF EVANGELION. All three properties will be released on Blu-ray and on digital download-to-own in 2021. This is the first time NEON GENESIS EVANGELION will be available on Blu-ray in North America.
The deal, finalized on the eve of the storied saga’s 25th anniversary, was negotiated by GKIDS’ President David Jesteadt and King Records.
Created by Hideaki Anno, the NEON GENESIS EVANGELION television series is considered one of the most influential animated series of all time. Since its 1995 premiere in Japan, the story of teenager Shinji Ikari has remained one of the most iconic titles in animation history, and a global pop culture phenomenon.
“Neon Genesis Evangelion was one of the first titles that transformed my idea of what animation is truly capable of,” said GKIDS’ President David Jesteadt. “GKIDS was created with the intent to distribute the best animation in the world, and it’s an honor to help share such a groundbreaking work with North American audiences in new formats.”
