‘The Deer King’ Delayed In Japan As Covid Cases Soar

‘The Deer King’ Delayed In Japan As Covid Cases Soar

The very first release date of the Deer King that was announced by the makers was that of September 18, 2020. But it has been delayed indefinitely in Japan, as the country grapples with a spike in coronavirus cases.

The official website of Shika no Ō: Yuna to Yakusoku no Tabi manga announced last Thursday that the film would not land on the big screens on the decided date. The statement clarified that the film would be delayed to a suitable date due to the ongoing health crisis in Japan and the rest of the world. This is the third consecutive delay for The Deer King Film. The first delay was also a cause of the pandemic. Later, the reason for the second delay did not come in the public domain. Now, the pandemic has led to yet another delay.

The Deer King screened at Annecy and Fantasia International Film Festival, where it won the won the Bronze Audience Award for Best Animated Film. GKIDS is due to release it in North American theaters early next year.

Fittingly, The Deer King is set in a fantasy world, the Empire of Zol, ravaged by a strange illness. The empire has been conquering nearby territories for many years now. Only the Aquafa territory has been able to protect its lands from this empire. It exploits a young girl and a onetime soldier who was enslaved by his enemies.

The Deer King film draws the plot from a 2014 novel series of the same name. Ghibli veteran Masashi Ando and Masayuki Miyaji directed Nahoko Uehashi is the original creator of the story. The production studio is Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell) and the distributor is Toho.