Produced by Toei Animation and based on the TV sequel ‘Digimon Adventure 02,’ the movie follows the Digi Destined, now 10 years older, and their encounter with a mysterious young man claiming to be the first-ever DigiDestined; rolling out across multiple entertainment platforms in 2024.
Shout! Studios and Toei Animation Inc. mark the 25th year of the Digimon anime franchise with a multi-year home entertainment partnership for the animated feature Digimon Adventure 02 The Beginning. The announcement was made by Shout! Studios’ executive vice president Melissa Boag, and Toei Animation Inc. president and CEO Masayuki Endo.
Under the terms of the agreement Shout! Studios has acquired North American cross-platform home entertainment distribution rights to bring the animated features to U.S. and Canada, including all packaged media and electronic sell-through digital rights. Shout! Studios has planned a strategic rollout of the new movie across multiple entertainment platforms and home entertainment shelves in 2024.
“We are delighted by this new opportunity with Toei Animation and excited by this contemporary story of the DigiDestined from Digimon Adventure 02,” said Boag. “Over the years, we enjoyed tremendous success with Digimon Adventure tri. film series and Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna. We look forward to presenting Digimon Adventure 02 The Beginning to anime fans and families through home entertainment very soon.”
“Digimon Adventure 02 The Beginning was a hit with franchise fans around the world, and we’re thrilled to bring it to homes across North America through this partnership with Shout! Studios,” added Endo. “Today’s news is one of many exciting things planned during 2024 as part of Toei Animation’s year-long celebration of the 25th anniversary of Digimon.”
Produced by Toei Animation, Digimon Adventure 02 The Beginning was released worldwide in 2023, including a two-day U.S. theatrical release last November by Toei Animation and Fathom Events.
The film is based on the 2000 TV sequel series Digimon Adventure 02 and its cast of children. Directed by Tomohisa Taguchi with a script by Akatsuki Yamatoya, the film is produced by Toei Animation – the same team behind the most recent film Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna. The new movie adventure is a contemporary continuation of the series but with the DigiDestined children, now 20-year-old adults.
The home entertainment release of Digimon Adventure 02 The Beginning features an English dub produced by Toei Animation specifically for the U.S. theatrical run. The English voice cast features Brian Donovan (voice of Daisuke Motomiya in the TV series), Jeannie Tirado (My Hero Academia), Bryce Papenbrook (Digimon Adventure), Tara Sands (Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna), Johnny Yong Bosch (Digimon Adventure tri.), and Derek Stephen Prince (Digimon Adventure 02).
In Digimon Adventure 02 The Beginning, it’s 2012, and 10 years have passed since the adventure in the Digital World. Daisuke Motomiya is now 20, and he and the rest of the DigiDestined seem to be changing bit by bit in terms of appearance and lifestyle. Then one day, a giant Digitama suddenly appears in the sky over Tokyo Tower. Daisuke and the others encounter a mysterious young man named Lui Ohwada, who informs them that he’s the first-ever DigiDestined in the world.
Source: Toei Animation Inc.
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
