Distributed by Eleven Arts, Anime Blockbuster by Manga Creator Takeshi Konomi Unveils Never-Before-Seen “Prince of Tennis” Storyline in the Franchise’s First Ever CG Anime Feature Film
Los Angeles, CA – Iconic Events Releasing, a distribution company specializing in special engagement theatrical events, joins with Anime Expo® to present the first-ever AX Cinema Nights featuring a new full-length anime film adventure, RYOMA! THE PRINCE OF TENNIS. Screenings will take place beginning May 12 at theaters nationwide. On-sale dates and theaters will be announced shortly.
AX Anime Expo Cinema Nights is an in-person movie event series celebrating the best new and classic anime films by bringing them to theaters across North America. Leveraging the brand power of Anime Expo, the largest Japanese culture event in North America, AX Cinema Nights will bring passionate fans together for immersive and unforgettable community experiences.
“Over the course of Anime Expo’s 31-year history, one of the greatest lessons we’ve learned is that anime has an incredible gift for bringing people together,” said Ray Chiang, CEO of Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA). “That’s why we’re so thrilled to team up with Iconic Events and Eleven Arts to kick off AX Anime Expo Cinema Nights with Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis and create even more opportunities for anime fans nationwide to grow their communities and share their love of the artform with friends both new and old.”
RYOMA! THE PRINCE OF TENNIS is a new feature film about tennis prodigy Ryoma Echizen and is based on the acclaimed manga series, The Prince of Tennis, and its sequel, The New Prince of Tennis, written and illustrated by renowned manga author, Takeshi Konomi.
“Eleven Arts is very excited to be a part of this partnership with Iconic Events Releasing and Anime Expo’s AX Cinema Nights to bring forth a new theatrical experience for anime fans to enjoy,” said Ko Mori, CEO and President of Eleven Arts. “We are honored to kickstart this experience with Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis, a title from such an iconic franchise.”
RYOMA! THE PRINCE OF TENNIS is the franchise’s first ever CG film and features an all-new story that takes place between the original manga series’ timeline and its sequel. Creator Takeshi Konomi personally supervised the film’s production and wrote the music and lyrics for all the featured songs.
A trailer for RYOMA! THE PRINCE OF TENNIS is viewable at: https://youtu.be/lDFrh_RXoPs.
Inspired by his tennis champion father, Ryoma is determined to take his game to the next level and train in the US. But in the middle of an intense tennis battle to save his classmate Sakuno from dangerous villains, they somehow find themselves transported to the past, just as Ryoma’s father is about to face his final championship match at the US Open – when he was mysteriously forced to retire. The innovative 3D digital animation brings the magnificent and colorful world of The Prince of Tennis to life on the big screen in this captivating film.
Over 60 million copies of The Prince of Tennis manga have been sold since the series debuted in 1999 in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine. The sequel rekindled the series in 2009 in Shueisha’s Jump Square magazine. Over the past 20+ years, the blockbuster franchise has spawned a hit anime series, animated feature films, live action films, stage plays, radio shows, music collaborations, and video games.
“Ryoma! The Prince of Tennis is a quintessential and beloved property among anime and manga fans. We are excited to join with Anime Expo and Eleven Arts to present this exciting film to American audiences as part of AX Cinema Nights, and to expand our anime theatrical programming and continue the collaboration with Anime Expo,” said Steve Bunnell, CEO of Iconic Events Releasing.
About Anime Expo
Anime Expo (AX®) brings together fans and industry from Japan, the US, and all over the world for the largest celebration of Japanese pop culture in North America. Taking place every year since 1992, Anime Expo features the best in Japanese animation, popular art, entertainment, music, fashion, and video games. SPJA is the parent company that presents Anime Expo, and our theatrical series “AX Anime Expo Cinema Nights” is a sub brand of Anime Expo. For more information, visit www.anime-expo.org.
About Iconic Events Releasing
A fast-growing name in event cinema, Iconic Events Releasing brings live and filmed entertainment of all types to movie theaters as special limited engagement events. Programming includes live pay-per-view sports, e-sports competitions, anime, music, and comedy events, award-winning television specials, Broadway productions, exciting holiday specials, family events, rock concerts, and music docs. Iconic’s theater network represents some of the country’s preeminent cinemas offering enhanced guest experiences, high-quality food & beverage service, and reserved seating. The company has enjoyed significant successes with monthly high-profile UFC Pay-Per View Fights, and their wide release success with “Jeen-Yuhs A Kanye Trilogy Part 1,” “Bo Burnham: Inside,” “David Byrne’s American Utopia,” WWE SummerSlam, and the well-regarded Faith Based feature, Tyson’s Run. Upcoming is the 25th Anniversary release of “Selena.” More information is available at https://iconicreleasing.com.
About Eleven Arts
Eleven Arts is a Los Angeles-based distribution company known for bringing high-quality Japanese animation to North America. Eleven Arts’ latest titles include STUDIO 4°C’s POUPELLE OF CHIMNEY TOWN, GINTAMA THE VERY FINAL, AND SHIROBAKO THE MOVIE. Eleven Arts’ catalog includes critically acclaimed titles such as A SILENT VOICE, MILLENNIUM ACTRESS, MAQUIA: WHEN THE PROMISED FLOWER BLOOMS, PENGUIN HIGHWAY and more. Previously, Eleven Arts distributed titles such as EVANGELION REBUILD, SWORD ART ONLINE: THE MOVIE ORDINAL SCALE, BORUTO, and NARUTO franchise films. For more information visit, https://www.elevenarts.net.
Anime Expo 2022 will run from July 1 through July 4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
For more information about attending AX, check out our How to Attend guide.
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