GKIDS announced that it has acquired the North American distribution rights for the latest genre-bending animated adult feature Unicorn Wars, before the horror-comedy film’s upcoming US premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX. GKIDS will release Unicorn Wars theatrically in early 2023, following a domestic release this fall.
Goya and Annecy Cristal-winning director Alberto Vázquez (Birdboy: The Forgotten Children) has worked on the feature. The film was also featured in competition at the 2022 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, and was just announced for the upcoming 2022 BFI London Film Festival.
International sales are represented by Charades. GKIDS and Charades had previously made a pact on local distribution rights for past Academy Award nominee Mirai and hit film Belle, among others. The new deal marks the next collaboration between GKIDS and Alberto Vázquez, following GKIDS’ local distribution of the Goya Award-winning feature Birdboy: The Forgotten Children and short film Decorado.
“There is nobody on Earth who could make a film like Unicorn Wars except Alberto Vázquez. We are proud to partner again with this exceptional filmmaker on his richly layered and darkly funny new film about cute characters doing horrific things. It continues to haunt me,” said GKIDS president David Jesteadt.
As per the official synopsis in GKIDS website: It’s “Bambi meets Apocalypse Now” in this provocative and strangely beautiful horror comedy from acclaimed filmmaker and illustrator Alberto Vazquez (Birdboy: The Forgotten Children), who uses its outrageous candy-colored premise to explore religious zealotry, the tortured legacies of military fascism, and the depths of the soul.
For ages, teddy bears have been locked in an ancestral war against their sworn enemy, the unicorns, with the promise that victory will complete the prophecy and usher in a new era. Aggressive, confident teddy bear Bluet and his sensitive, withdrawn brother Tubby could not be more different. As the rigors and humiliation of teddy bear bootcamp turn to the psychedelic horrors of a combat tour in the Magic Forest, their complicated history and increasingly strained relationship will come to determine the fate of the entire war.
The executive producers of the film are Chelo Loureiro, Iván Miñambres, Nicolas Schmerkin, while Ana Fernández, Diana Cano served as the production assistants.