Lupin III: The First is coming to North America!
It’s the news story so many of us have been eagerly anticipating - Lupin III: The First is coming to North America later this year!
New York-based distributor GKIDS Films have announced the news over on social media website Twitter earlier today.
Going from information written up on the GKIDS official web page, Lupin III: The First is expected to launch in select theatres across North America later this year. Two versions of the film will be shown - one featuring Japanese audio with English subtitles, and another which is to include a full English dub.
While the cast of the English dub is still to be determined, excited fans over on Twitter have been reaching out to GKIDS and requesting that Tony Oliver, Richard Epcar, Lex Lang, Michelle Ruff and the rest of the original Geneon / Pioneer dubbing crew reprise their roles (and also Doug Erholtz, who now regularly plays the role of Inspector Zenigata).
While by no means guaranteeing they will feature in the film, Richard Epcar (who now produces many of the Discotek Media English language dubs alongside voicing Jigen Daisuke) has previously made it clear on social media that he would be interested in working on the release.
Lupin III: The First is the series’ first extended venture into 3D animation and released in Japanese theatres on December 6th, 2019. The film is directed by Takashi Yamazaki (Dragon Quest: Your Story and Stand by Me Doraemon).
The film, which is 93 minutes long, is also due to release on DVD and Blu-ray in Japan on June 3rd. During its theatrical run in Japan, the response from both fans and critics alike was positive.
More information from the GKIDS official website can be found below:
The iconic “gentleman thief” Lupin III returns in an action-packed, continent-spanning adventure, as Lupin III and his colorful underworld companions race to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Bresson Diary, before it falls into the hands of a dark cabal that will stop at nothing to resurrect the Third Reich. The gang undertakes trap-filled tombs, aerial escapades and daring prison escapes with the trademark wit and visual finesse that have made LUPIN THE 3RD one of the most storied animation franchises in the world, in a thrilling new caper that is sure to delight fans old and new.
At time of writing, there is currently no American trailer for Lupin III: The First. In the meantime, you can watch the Japanese trailer by clicking here, check out the intro sequence by clicking here, and the car chase segment by clicking here.
The film is also to be released, or has already been released, in Italy, Spain, France, The Philippines, Brazil and Taiwan. We have our fingers crossed now that there is an English dub on the way, announcements for releases in various other countries will follow.
Check out more images from the film in our gallery by clicking here, and stay tuned to Lupin Central for more details as they become available.
