The Deer King lands worldwide this week! It is based on a series of Japanese fantasy novels written by Nahoko Uehashi.
The story follows the last survivor in a band of warriors after a violent battle, Van is made a slave in a salt mine run by the governing empire. When a troop of vicious canines carrying a fatal and incurable disease attack one night, the warrior flees, leaving just Van and a young girl named Yuna as survivors. When the pair is finally set free, they try to live a quiet life in the countryside but are followed by evil powers. There are reports that this unexplained ailment is only affecting immigrants in other places. Hossal, a medical researcher, puts his life at danger to find a cure. Doctors are also examining a father and child who appear to have beaten the disease. Van must find the root of the sickness devouring the kingdom and its potential cure and will protect Yuna at all costs.
The announcement of an anime adaptation was made in June 2018. Later, it was revealed to be an anime adaptation made by Production I.G. The characters in the movie were created by Masashi Ando, the screenplays were handled by Taku Kishimoto, and the music was created by Harumi Fuuki. The movie is directed by Masashi Ando and Masayuki Miyaji. Due to unspecified causes, the launch date was postponed over a year, from September 2020, to September 2021. The COVID-19 epidemic caused a second delay for the movie in August 2021. In February 2022, it finally made its official debut.
On June 14, 2021, The Deer King movie received its global premiere in the official feature film competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Anime Limited has obtained the rights to distribute it in French-speaking Europe, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. The theatrical release date for Spain's distribution rights, which were purchased by Selecta Visión, was June 9, 2022. The movie has been purchased by GKIDS for North American distribution, and on Friday, July 15, 2022, it will be shown in both its original Japanese language with English sub and English dub.
The series was first released by Kadokawa in two volumes in September 2014, and it was later reissued in four volumes in June - July 2017. Between July 2021 and March 2022, a manga adaptation with illustrations by Taro Sekiguchi was serialized online on the Young Ace Up website of Kadokawa Shoten. Two tank-bon volumes were used to collect it. On February 4, 2022, Production I.G debuted the anime film adaption.