EXCLUSIVE: Trinity CineAsia has acquired UK and Ireland distribution rights to Japanese anime feature Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback from TM
EXCLUSIVE: Trinity CineAsia has acquired UK and Ireland distribution rights to Japanese anime feature Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback from TMS Entertainment.
The film, which is the second highest-grossing feature of the year so far at the Japan box office, is set for a theatrical release in UK cinemas on September 26.
It marks the second time one of Japan’s most iconic anime franchises has received a UK theatrical release after Trinity CineAsia opened Detective Conan: The Million-Dollar Pentagram in September 2024.
The latest instalment is the 28th film in the Detective Conan franchise (known as Case Closed in the US), which has seen a film released annually in Japan since 1997 (excluding 2020).
Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback opened locally on April 18, earning $24m (¥3.43bn) from 2.31 million admissions over its opening weekend (April 18-20) – a recent record for the franchise. It crossed the ¥10bn milestone within 19 days and went on to gross $97m in Japan. It has taken more than $112m worldwide to date.
The story takes place in Japan’s snowy Nagano Prefecture and revolves around a series of mysterious events and murders in the prefecture. It marks the return of three beloved characters from the manga to the substantial screen — the Nagano Prefectural Police’s trio of childhood friends: Inspector Kansuke Yamato, Taka’aki Morofushi, and Yui Uehara. It was directed by Katsuya Shigehara, who served as unit director and key animator on several previous Conan films.
It continues the adventures of a teenage detective who shrinks down to child size after being forced to take a mysterious drug, and who continues to solve mysteries under the name Conan Edogawa. Japanese artist Gosho Aoyama launched the manga in 1994, which is ongoing. There is also a television anime adaptation, which has featured more than 1,100 episodes to date and is broadcast in more than 40 countries. The films are animated by TMS Entertainment and distributed by Toho.
Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback is the latest high-profile title secured by Trinity CineAsia, which has picked up notable features this year including Chinese war epic Donji Rescue and Chinese animation Ne Zha 2, the highest-grossing animated feature of all time.
Cedric Behrel, managing director of Trinity CineAsia, said: “This marks our second release of this long-standing and much-loved Japanese anime franchise in the UK. Our engagement with the UK’s cultural symbols — including a campaign in collaboration with the Sherlock Holmes Museum — was met with an overwhelmingly positive response from fans.
“Following the widespread success of Ne Zha 2, we aim to further grow Trinity CineAsia’s diverse animation audience by bringing the latest Detective Conan feature to the big screen each year, with the same passion and commitment.”
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