The English-language trailer for GKIDS release Okko's Inn has been unveiled. The movie premiered back in 2018 at the Annecy animation fest and later screened at Animation Is Film in Los Angeles in October. The animated family movie has been receiving praise and has been nominated for Japan's Academy Prize for Animation of the Year, which is pretty big. Now, Okko's Inn will hit select theaters on April 22nd and 23rd, so be sure to check your local theaters for advance ticket sales.

Okko's Inn focuses on a girl named Okko, who goes to live in the countryside with her grandmother after her losing her parents in a car accident. Her grandmother runs a traditional Japanese inn, which is built on top of an ancient spring said to have healing waters. While she goes about her chores and prepares to become the inn's next caretaker, Okko discovers there are spirits who live there that only she can see. However, these spirits are not scary ones, but welcoming ghosts who keep her company, play games, and help her navigate her new environment. The inn's motto is that it welcomes all and will reject none, and this is soon put to the test as a string of new guests challenge Okko's ability to be a gracious host. But ultimately Okko discovers that dedicating herself to others becomes the key to taking care of herself.

Okko's Inn is from the famed anime studio Madhouse and director Kitaro Kosaka, who was a key animator on numerous classic films at the venerable Studio Ghibli. The movie seamlessly blends immersive, idyllic landscapes with the storybook charm of Okko's beloved ghosts. Okko's Inn is said to deliver a rare ghost story that, despite several floating characters, is firmly grounded in the trials and joys of humanity.

Last month, Nippon Academy-Sho Association announced the nominees for this year's Japan Academy Prize. In addition to Okko's Inn, Dragon Ball Super: Broly, Penguin Highway, Mirai, and Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer have been nominated. Dragon Ball Super: Broly had an excellent showing in North America, having brought in over $7 million in its first day in theaters. However, it could not keep up with M. Night Shyamalan's Glass for the big box office weekend.

Okko's Inn is just one of many anime movies that is coming to theaters in North America. Anime fans used to have to go to great lengths to see one of the movies in North America and they almost never had English subtitles, which meant that the hardcore fans would sit there with a Japanese-English dictionary to learn what was happening. However, times have changed and anime fans have proved that there is a place at the box office for them and that it's worth the time of the studio to throw in some English subtitles. You can check out the Okko's Inn English-Language trailer below, provided by the GKIDS Films YouTube channel.

Okko's Inn poster