By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
The ‘digital monsters’ are back as Toei Animation releases a new Digimon film in theatres on Nov. 8.
Co-produced with Fathom Events, Digimon Adventure 02 is being released as a two-day event on Nov. 8-9. The ‘chosen children’ from the Digimon saga are also returning, but now as 20-year-old adults.
The film is being released as a fan event in 750 theatres across the United States, through Fathom Events, and it really is more of an event than just a film debut.
“Digimon Adventure 02 The Beginning” will be presented nightly at 7 p.m. local time in both English dub (Nov. 8) and Japanese with English subtitles (Nov. 9).
The release of the film certainly heralds a surge in licensing activity from Toei Animation, which holds the rights to Digimon.
The Digimon (or Digital Monsters) were introduced as a wide-ranging media franchise that started with a line of digital pets in 1997. They were similar to the Tamagotchi concept, but with a harder edge, as the Digimon could also battle each other in card games and later in video games.
The franchise gained more traction with an early video game, Digimon World, released only in Japan in January 1999. Several anime series and films, including its first anime incarnation, Digimon Adventure, that was based on both video games and the digital pets, have been released; the video game series has expanded into multiple genres, such as role-playing, racing, fighting, and MMORPGs.
As an exclusive experience only available in theaters, moviegoers will be treated to a brief introduction to the film by its director, Tomohisa Taguchi. Plus, as a special bonus, the first 50 guests to arrive at each night’s screening will receive a complimentary Digimon Card Game Tamer Party Pack -THE BEGINNING ver. 2.0, which includes 3 out of 14 possible cards from the new Digimon Card Game deck commemorating the film.
Lucky recipients will be among the first fans in the U.S. to own these new “Digimon Adventure 02 The Beginning” themed cards before they are released to the general public in December.
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Tickets for the “Digimon Adventure 02 The Beginning” are available for advance purchase now at FathomEvents.com/Digimon02, which also provides a complete list of theater locations. Those locations may be subject to change, so fans are recommended to check their local theatre listings.
“Digimon Adventure” was followed in 2000 by the sequel “Digimon Adventure 02,” which featured a different cast of children from the first series.
The new movie “Digimon Adventure 02 The Beginning” is a contemporary continuation of the “Digimon Adventure 02” TV series, but with the original DigiDestined children now portrayed as young adults. “Digimon Adventure 02 The Beginning” is directed by Tomohisa Taguchi and written by Akatsuki Yamatoya together with production by Toei Animation — the same team behind the most recent film “Digimon Adventure Last Evolution Kizuna” released in 2020.
Based in Los Angeles, Toei Animation Inc. manages the distribution of Toei Animation’s top properties. Other than Digimon, Toei also manages major franchise series like Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, One Piece, Saint Seiya and many others.
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