Japan’s Toho is acquiring the U.K.-based distributor Anime Limited from Plaion Pictures and establishing a new European base.
Anime Limited will now function as a subsidiary of Toho Global under the leadership of Andrew Partridge, founder and managing director. The move gives Toho film distribution, home video, TV sales, and merchandise and licensing capabilities in the U.K. and France.
Toho has been scaling its international activities, acquiring GKIDS in the U.S. and launching Toho Entertainment Asia in Singapore. This year, it will set up a London base as its European headquarters. It has also entered into a strategic alliance with Plaion Pictures that extends its distribution capabilities to Germany, Italy, and other European markets.
Koji Ueda, president and representative director of Toho Global, said “We are excited to welcome Andrew and the Anime Ltd team into the growing Toho family, and to begin our new cooperation relationship with Plaion Pictures. This move accelerates the timeline to realize “TOHO VISION 2032 Group Management Strategy” by giving Toho an immediate pan-European distribution capability as well as access to Plaion Pictures’ highly additive infrastructure for merchandise operations. We look forward to working together with our new team members and partners to bring amazing content to fans in the U.K,, France, and across the continent.”
