‘Sailor Moon R: The Movie’ Is Getting A Remastered Theatrical Release In January

If you've been looking for something nice to look forward to in 2017, I have some good news. Viz has announced that it's not only releasing Sailor Moon R: The Movie on DVD and Blu-Ray, but that for the first time ever, the full-length feature will get a theatrical release in the United States.

That Viz is releasing the movies is not surprising --- since the release of the show in its complete, uncut, and newly dubbed form began over two years ago, most fans assumed that the movies would follow. That they'll be hitting theaters across America in January, however, is a pretty welcome surprise. As of right now, a specific release date has yet to be revealed, and while there will definitely be an English dubbed version and a subtitled Japanese version on home video, we don't know which (or if both) will be hitting theaters.

Both releases will be accompanied by the short film Make Up! Sailor Guardians, in which reincarnated moon princess/vigilante Usagi Tsukino and her time-traveling daughter from the future Usagi Tsukino (it's complicated) head out for a snack and end up overhearing a few people gossiping about their superheroic alter-egos.

But while this is the first time Sailor Moon R: The Movie will be released in American theaters, it's not the first time that it's seen a wide release on this east side of the Pacific. In 2000, Pioneer released it on VHS and DVD as Sailor Moon R: The Promise of the Rose. It has been out of print for years, and since it was released towards the start of the DVD format's lifespan, it's been pretty difficult to find on something that you can watch on a current generation television --- something I know from personal experience.

The new release will feature the same voice cast working on the TV series, including Stephanie Sheh as Sailor Moon, Kate Higgins as Sailor Mercury, Cristina Vee as Sailor Mars, Amanda Miller as Sailor Jupiter, Cherami Leigh as Sailor Venus, and Robbie Daymond as Tuxedo Mask.