Bandai Entertainment has announced the acquisition of North American distribution rights for the anime feature film, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya from Kadokawa Pictures.  Produced by Kyoto Animation and directed by Tatsuya Ishihara and Yasuhiro Takemoto, the film is based on the fourth light novel in Haruhi Suzumiya series written by Nagaru Tanigawa.  The film was released in theaters in Japan in February, 2010 and made the box office top ten in its opening weekend.

 

The story takes place after the conclusion of the two seasons of the “cult hit” TV anime series (also released here by Bandai) and tells the story of Haruhi’s sudden disappearance and her friend Kyon’s attempt to untangle the mystery of why she has vanished.

 

Bandai is releasing a subtitled print of the film, which will debut in the U.S. at the Viz Cinema in San Francisco, starting on May 21st followed by a theatrical distribution in Hawaii in mid-June by Consolidated Theaters.

 

Bandai Entertainment is also producing an English language version of the film in conjunction with Bang Zoom Entertainment.  A DVD version of the film that will include the English dub will be released later this year.  Yen Press publishes the Haruhi Suzumiya manga in the U.S., while Little Brown is publishing Tanigawa's original Haruhi Suzumiya light novels that have sold nearly 5 million copies in Japan and jumpstarted the whole Haruhi Suzumiya craze.