FILM PREMIERES IN COMPETITION NEXT WEEK AT
ANNECY INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL
GKIDS, the acclaimed producer and distributor of award-winning animation, announced today it has acquired all North American rights to ChaO, the debut feature film from veteran animator Yasuhiro Aoki, produced by renowned Japanese animation house Studio 4°C. The wildly romantic “fish out of water” comedy is set to make its world premiere as an Official Selection in Competition at the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival taking place June 8-14, 2025.
In a futuristic world where humans and mermaids coexist, ChaO follows Stephan, a mild-mannered office worker at a shipbuilding company, whose life is upended when he is suddenly proposed to by Chao — a princess from the mermaid kingdom. With no time to make sense of what’s happening, Stephan soon finds himself living with the unpredictable, wholehearted Chao. As her sincere love begins to break down his emotional barriers, an unexpected and touching romance begins to unfold.
“We are thrilled to continue our long relationship with Studio 4°C, one of the most exciting animation studios working today,” said David Jesteadt, GKIDS’ President. “ChaO is a genre-defying fairy tale about love, identity, and connection, with outrageous and instantly iconic characters, and I’m sure audiences will fall in love just like we did.”
“Our collaboration with GKIDS has always been built on a shared belief in the artistic power of animation, and we’re thrilled to continue this journey together with ChaO,” said Eiko Tanaka of Studio 4°C. “Directed by Yasuhiro Aoki, ChaO is a film that embraces contradiction — delicate yet bold, romantic yet absurd. It was crafted with great care and imagination by our team, and we are deeply grateful to GKIDS for recognizing its spirit. We hope audiences in North America will enjoy diving into this dreamlike, vibrant world as much as we enjoyed bringing it to life.”
GKIDS and Studio 4°C have previously collaborated on acclaimed releases such as Mind Game, Children of the Sea, and several other celebrated titles.
ChaO will be released theatrically by GKIDS in North America, with a home entertainment and digital rollout to follow. Additional release details will be announced at a later date.
The deal was negotiated between Rodney Uhler of GKIDS, and Ayumi Inoguchi of Studio 4°C.
Director: Yasuhiro AOKI
Character Designer & Supervising Animation Director: Hirokazu KOJIMA
Producer: Eiko TANAKA
Music: Takatsugu MURAMATSU
Sound: Kouji KASAMATSU
Artistic Direction: Hiroshi TAKIGUCHI
Voice: Ouji SUZUKA, Anna YAMADA