THE COLORS WITHIN Press Notes and Image Gallery From Toho

Award-winning director Naoko Yamada (A SILENT VOICE, LIZ AND THE BLUE BIRD) returns with the 'music x youth' story, THE COLORS WITHIN. Image courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd. ©2024 Science SARU INC./STORY Inc./TOHO CO., LTD./JR East Marketing & Communications, Inc./Lawson Entertainment, Inc.

Source: Toho Co., Ltd., GKIDS
Official Site: https://kiminoiro.jp/ (Japan), https://gkids.com/films/the-colors-within/ (US)

A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Toho Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Hiroyasu Matsuoka) have provided information and images from THE COLORS WITHIN (きみの色, Kimi no Iro), the new anime film from award-winning director Naoko Yamada (A SILENT VOICE, LIZ AND THE BLUE BIRD). The movie opens August 30th in Japan with an international release scheduled to follow this winter.

INTRODUCTION

From Naoko Yamada, an animation director who is attracting attention from all over the world...

A long-awaited, completely original feature-length work that is the culmination of "music x youth"

Known for works such as the phenomenon K-ON! THE MOVIE (映画けいおん!, Eiga Keion!, 2011) and the masterpiece A SILENT VOICE (聲の形, Koe no Katachi, 2016), Naoko Yamada has become one of the most highly acclaimed animation directors in the world with her rare visual sense and delicate direction that expresses even the tiniest emotional fluctuations.

Her long-awaited latest film, THE COLORS WITHIN, is a story of "music x youth," which is Yamada's specialty.

Production comes from studio Science SARU (SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF), for whom Yamada previously directed the series THE HEIKE STORY (平家物語, Heike Monogatari, 2021-22), which also debuted to wide acclaim. Producer Genki Kawamura’s Story inc. (YOUR NAME., WEATHERING WITH YOU, SUZUME), is additionally attached to the film for planning and producing.

Screenwriter Reiko Yoshida (RIDE YOUR WAVE, VIOLET EVERGARDEN), who has teamed up with Naoko Yamada on many occasions since the K-ON! series, penned the script, and longtime Science SARU collaborator Kensuke Ushio (DEVILMAN CRYBABY, CHAINSAW MAN, A SILENT VOICE) composed the score. Frequent Science SARU collaborator Takashi Kojima, who most recently worked with director Yamada on THE HEIKE STORY, joined the production as character designer and animation director.

The voice actors Sayu Suzukawa, Akari Takaishi and Taisei Kido, who were selected from an audition of 1,600 people, have been chosen to play Totsuko, Kimi, and Rui, respectively. They are supported by a star-studded cast including voice actors Aoi Yuki, Minako Kotobuki, the comedian Yasuko, Keiko Toda, and Yui Aragaki.

The theme song is "in the pocket," created for this film by one of Japan's leading rock bands, Mr.Children.

A new era of animated films is about to begin.

STORY

I'm attracted to your 'color.'

Totsuko is a high school student with the ability to see the 'colors' of others. Colors of bliss, excitement, and serenity, plus a color she treasures as her favorite.

One day at a used book store, she meets Kimi, a classmate at her school who gives off the most beautiful color of all. and Rui, a quiet boy who loves music.

Each of them has a problem that they can't tell anyone about. Kimi can't tell her family that she dropped out of school without permission. Contrary to his mother's expectations for the future, Rui is secretly pursuing a musical career. And Totsuko cannot see her own colors.

Although she doesn’t play an instrument, Totsuko decides to form a band with Kimi and Rui and they begin practicing at an old church. As the three connect through music, friendship and stirring affections start to grow between them.

Then the school festival comes, and their first live performance. Will they discover their true 'colors' in front of the audience?

INTERNATIONAL RELEASE INFO

GKIDS, the Academy Award-winning producer and distributor of acclaimed and artist-driven animation, and Anime Ltd., Europe’s leading boutique animation distributor specializing in original story film, have licensed the international rights to THE COLORS WITHIN. GKIDS has acquired the film for North America, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand, while Anime Ltd. has acquired the film for the United Kingdom, Ireland, and all of Europe. PLAION PICTURES will handle Italian and German speaking territories. GKIDS and Anime Ltd. have engaged Charades to manage sales for the rest of Europe, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand.

GKIDS and Anime Ltd. will theatrically release the film in both its original Japanese language and a new English dubbed version this winter, and GKIDS will qualify the film for 2024-25 awards consideration.

GKIDS and ANIME LTD. have worked together on many of the top anime titles of the past several years, with GKIDS taking North America and Anime Ltd. taking UK and additional territories. Films the two companies have both handled include BELLE, EVANGELION:3.0+1.11 THRICE UPON A TIME, THE FIRST SLAM DUNK, the Golden Globe-nominated INU-OH, the Academy Award-nominated MIRAI, WEATHERING WITH YOU, and many more. This marks the first time the two companies have partnered on a global acquisition.

“We have long admired Naoko Yamada and her ability to create dazzling, emotional stories out of the everyday concerns of teenagers,” said GKIDS president David Jesteadt. “THE COLORS WITHIN is her most beautiful film yet, and we are proud to partner with our friends at Anime Ltd. on another soon to be classic from Science SARU and Story Inc., who are responsible for some of the best anime productions of this new century.”

“The partnership and coordination on the international release of THE COLORS WITHIN signals a new approach to film promotion: working together on a singular global vision whilst utilizing our respective local experience to maximize the impact of the film. Working in unison like this allows all of us to provide the best possible support for talented directorial voices,” said Anime Ltd. CEO Andrew Partridge. ”On a personal level, I’ve worked closely with promoting Naoko Yamada’s films before I even founded Anime Ltd. – starting with her debut feature film as a part of Scotland Loves Anime. So it’s a real pleasure to be bringing her latest work to as wide an audience as possible in Europe.”

DETAILS

Release Date: Friday, August 30, 2024 (Japan)
Japanese Release Information: Roadshow at Toho Theaters Nationwide

■ Japanese Voice Cast

Totsuko Higurashi: Sayu Suzukawa
Kimi Sakunaga: Akari Takaishi
Rui Kagehira: Taisei Kido
Saku Momochi: Yasuko
Shiho Nanakubo: Aoi Yuki
Sumika Yatsushika: Minako Kotobuki
Kimi's Grandmother: Keiko Toda　
Sister Hiyoshiko: Yui Aragaki

■ Staff

Director: Naoko Yamada
Producers: Yoshihiro Furusawa, Genki Kawamura, Eunyoung Choi, Wakana Okamura, Kohei Sakita
Screenplay: Reiko Yoshida
Storyboards: Naoko Yamada
Animation Director: Takashi Kojima
Character Design: Takashi Kojima
Original Character Design: DaisukeRichard
Color Design: Yuko Kobari
Compositing: Yoshimitsu Tomita
Art Directors: Midori Shimada, Yuuna Murooka
Editor: Kiyoshi Hirose
Sound: Eriko Kimura, Hiromune Kurahashi
Music/Music Director: Kensuke Ushio
Theme Song: “in the pocket” by Mr.Children (TOY'S FACTORY)

Production: “The Color Within” Production Committee
Planning/Production: STORY inc.
Production: Science SARU
Distributor: Toho (Japan)

©2024 “The Color Within” Production Committee

About Toho Co. Ltd.

Toho Company provides high-quality entertainment to a wide range of customers through its film production, distribution, and exhibition business, which is solidly supported by its real estate business including the Shinjuku Toho Building and Hibiya Chante, animation production, DVD software production and sales, and TOHO Cinemas' efforts to expand its network of multiplex cinemas. Among these, "Godzilla," which has been around since 1954, is Toho's flagship IP that has many fans around the world and has been loved for many years.

About GKIDS

GKIDS is the producer and distributor of award-winning feature animation for both adult and family audiences. The company has scored an astounding 12 Best Animated Feature Oscar nominations with THE SECRET OF KELLS in 2010, A CAT IN PARIS and CHICO & RITA in 2012, ERNEST & CELESTINE in 2014, THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA and SONG OF THE SEA in 2015, BOY AND THE WORLD and WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE in 2016, MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI in 2017, THE BREADWINNER in 2018, MIRAI in 2019, and WOLFWALKERS in 2021.

GKIDS also handles North American distribution for the famed Studio Ghibli library of films, one of the world’s most coveted animation collections with titles such as SPIRITED AWAY, MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, PRINCESS MONONOKE and others; as well as the critically-acclaimed television series, NEON GENESIS EVANGELION. Also, GKIDS is the founder and host of ANIMATION IS FILM, the annual LA-based film festival which embraces animation as a cinematic art form, and is a vocal advocate for filmmakers who push the boundaries of the medium to its fullest range of artistic expressions. www.gkids.com