Crunchyroll Bringing Annecy Player ‘The Concierge’ To U.S. Theaters In 2024

Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment have secured distribution rights to Annecy player The Concierge in North American and other unspecified territories, and will give the film a U.S. theatrical release in 2024.

After world premiering at Annecy in June, the quirky, department store-set feature made its North American debut at Montreal’s Fantasia Festival in July. Next up, it will screen in competition at L.A.’s Animation is Film later this month.

Film details:

• The Concierge is the feature directorial debut of Yoshimi Itazu (Welcome to the Ballroom) and produced by Japanese powerhouse Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell, Psycho-Pass, Patlabor 2).
• The film is adapted from Tsuchika Nishimura’s manga series The Concierge at Hokkyoku Department Store, which won the Excellence Award at the 25th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2022.
• Synopsis: “Akino is a trainee concierge at the Hokkyoku Department Store, an unusual department store that caters exclusively to animals. Under the watchful eyes of the floor manager and senior concierges, Akino runs around to fulfill the wishes of customers with a myriad of needs and problems in her pursuit to become a full-fledged concierge.”
• Natsumi Kawaida, Takeo Otsuka, and Kenjiro Tsuda voice the film’s main characters. Crunchyroll has yet to specify if an English-language dub will be available in the States. The version screening at festivals is in Japanese with English subtitles.