Japanese film producer/distributor Toho has acquired GKIDS, a New York- and LA-based company that specializes in bringing anime content into the North American market.
GKIDS will become a wholly owned subsidiary of LA-based Toho International, although its founder/CEO Eric Beckman and president Dave Jesteadt will stay on in their current roles. Since they established the company in 2009, GKIDS titles have earned 13 Best Animated Feature nominations at the Academy Awards, with Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron (pictured) scoring a high-profile win last year.
Toho and GKIDS have a history of working together in the past, often distributing the same anime films in their respective territories. These include titles from acclaimed animation house Studio Ghibli, as well as directors Mamoro Hosoda (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time) and Makoto Shinkai (Weathering With You). GKIDS has also expanded its focus beyond anime, distributing Wolfwalkers (Cartoon Saloon) and Ernest & Celestine (La Parti Productions, Les Armateurs and Melusine Productions) in North America as well.
Toho, which owns Godzilla and the My Hero Academia anime franchise, is looking to expand its business outside of Japan and connect the Japanese talent and content it represents with international partners and audiences. Acquiring GKIDS gives it an established North American theatrical and home entertainment sales business that should complement the L&M and e-commerce capabilities of Toho International and the wider company.
Capitalizing more fully on a strong spike in global market demand for Japanese anime is also of interest to Toho at the moment. “This partnership accelerates Toho’s goals to prioritize animation, develop international markets and support IP creation, while bringing exceptional Japanese and animated content to global audiences,” says president and CEO Hiro Matsuoka.
In other recent M&A activity, Toho acquired Japanese studio Science SARU (Scott Pilgrim Takes Off) in December 2023, and took an equity stake in LA-based Fifth Season (formerly Endeavor Content, the studio behind live-action series Severance) this past May.
