Gkids Acquires Sci-Fi Noir ‘Mars Express’ From Jérémie Perin

Gkids has acquired North American rights to Mars Express, the French animated feature from first-timer Jérémie Perin, which was an official selection this year of both Cannes and Annecy.

The acquisition comes following Gkids’ local distribution of the film The Rabbi’s Cat, which Perin helped develop. His sci-fi noir will hit theaters in its original French language and a new English dub in 2024, following a domestic release in France this November.

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A 2D/3D hybrid that recently had its U.S. premiere at Animation is Film Festival in Los Angeles, Mars Express watches as private detective Aline Ruby and her android partner Carlos Rivera are hired by a wealthy businessman to track down a notorious hacker in the year 2200. On Mars, they descend deep into the underbelly of the planet’s capital city where they uncover a darker story of brain farms, corruption, and a missing girl who holds a secret about the robots that threatens to change the face of the universe.

Previously serving as a producer and director on such international series as CO2, Nini Patalo, and Socks, Perin most recently wrote and directed Lastman, a series based on the French comic of the same name.

Gkids President David Jesteadt shared that his film is one the company has been “excited about for years, since we saw the very first footage. This is a timely and provocative story set in one of the greatest animated sci-fi worlds I’ve seen, and we are thrilled to help bring it to North American audiences.”

Added MK2 Films Head of Acquisition Olivier Barbier, who negotiated the deal with Gkids’ Rodney Uhler, “MK2 Films is thrilled to initiate this collaboration with GKIDS, one of the best independent distributors for animation in North America. Mars Express couldn’t dream of finding a better home and support from a team fully dedicated to art.”

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