Studio Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki’s directorial debut, Future Boy Conran, is finally getting an English-speaking release, four decades after the original series aired.
Future Boy Conran is a 26-episode TV series that originally aired in Japan in 1979, and includes contributions from Ghibli royalty-to-be Isao Takahata and Yoshiyuki Tomino. Miyazaki would go onto release his cinematic debut, The Castle of Cagliostro, later that year.
Loosely based on Alexander Key’s novel The Incredible Tide, the plot takes place in an apocalyptic near-future and follows the titular character Conan, a young boy who finds himself stranded on a small island following a spaceship crash. He later crosses paths with a young girl named Lana after she washes up on his home’s shore. Soon becoming close friends, the pair decide to travel across what’s left of Earth, discovering what’s left of human society and facing adventure and danger in equal measure.
Headed by GKids, the acquisition marks the first time Future Boy Conan will ever have been made legally accessible in America. It will be released with a 4K digital restoration, and will be available with both the original Japanese voice acting or a brand new English dub.
Elsewhere, preparations for the Studio Ghibli theme park are well underway and is slated for opening next year. Take a first look here.
Future Boy Conan will release on Blu-ray sometime in late 2021. Watch a clip below.