Mamoru Oshii's Cult-Classic Anime Angel's Egg Restored in 4K
Mamoru Oshii’s cult classic, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi/fantasy hybrid Angel’s Egg is officially hatching anew in pristine 4K for its 40th anniversary. GKIDS has shepherded a director-supervised restoration to North American theaters for the first time, with a nationwide rollout set for November 19—finally giving U.S. audiences a proper big-screen encounter with the film’s dreamlike ruin, whisper-quiet soundscape, and Yoshitaka Amano’s ethereal designs. In Japan, the restoration is also receiving an advance screening on November 14 ahead of a wider November 21 launch.
Angel’s Egg (2025), GKIDS and Umbrella Entertainment
On physical media, Australian label Umbrella Entertainment is first out of the gate with a two-disc 4K UHD + Blu-ray Collector’s Edition arriving December 3. The set features a new, director-approved restoration presented in 2160p with HDR10, Japanese audio in 5.1 and 2.0, English subtitles, and authoring by Fidelity in Motion. Packaged in an original-art rigid case and slipcase, it adds a 48-page booklet (with essays by Rabia Sitabi Stigter, Jonathan Clements, and Andrew Osmond) plus fresh extras, including interviews/featurettes and TIFF Q&A excerpts.
GKIDS, meanwhile, is leaning into the anniversary with theatrical marketing and related releases; the distributor previously announced North American rights with plans to present the 4K restoration in cinemas, and it has reissued Yoshihiro Kanno’s soundtrack on vinyl with restored jacket art and new bilingual liner notes—an elegant companion to the film’s return.
Originally released in 1985 and running a taut 71 minutes, Angel’s Egg remains one of anime’s most enigmatic achievements: a near-silent parable following a girl and the precious egg she protects, and a boy haunted by the memory of a bird he may have dreamed. The new restoration preserves Oshii’s meticulous textures and Amano’s painterly palette, promising the sharpest home-video and theatrical presentation the film has ever enjoyed. For longtime admirers—and newcomers who’ve only heard the legend—this 4K unveiling is the definitive way to enter its submerged city of echoes.
Check out the trailer for the 4K remaster of Angel’s Egg, included below.
