Author: Newsroom
NEW YORK (June 5, 2025) – Academy Award®-winning producer and distributor GKIDS announced today it has acquired all North American rights to LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN (original title in French: Amélie et la Métaphysique des tubes). The feature directorial debut of Maïlys Vallade (The Lighthouse Keeper; layout and storyboard artist on I Lost My Body and Calamity) and Liane-Cho Han (animation director on Calamity and Long Way North) made its World Premiere in the 2025 Cannes Film Festival as an official selection in the Special Screenings section. It will next premiere as an Official Selection in Competition at the 2025 Annecy International Animation Festival, before a North American theatrical release later this year.
The world is a perplexing, peaceful mystery to Amélie until a miraculous encounter with chocolate ignites her wild sense of curiosity. As she develops a deep attachment to her family’s housekeeper, Nishio-san, Amélie discovers the wonders of nature as well as the emotional truths hidden beneath the surface of her family’s idyllic life as foreigners in post-war Japan.
Adapted from the autobiographical novel by Amélie Nothomb and brought to life in the completely original animated style of directors Mailys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN tells a tender, poignant and visually stunning story about the healing power of human connection.
“The emotional intelligence and visual creativity of Little Amélie or the Character of Rain stunned us,” said Rodney Uhler, GKIDS’ Director of Acquisitions and Development. “The film is an engrossing story of how a young person grapples with the confusing reality of the world she’s brought into, but her discoveries will resonate with audiences of every age. The film feels like a beautiful gift from Vallade, Han and their team, and we cannot wait for audiences to discover its magic.”
The deal was negotiated between Rodney Uhler of GKIDS, and Jason Bressand of Goodfellas Animation.
LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN
Directors: Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han
Producers: Nidia Santiago and Edwina Liard (for Ikki Films), Claire La Combe and Henri Magalon (for Maybe Movies)
Screenwriters: Liane-Cho Han, Aude Py, Maïlys Vallade, and Eddine Noël
Cast: Loïse Charpentier, Victoria Grobois, Laetitia Coryn, Yumi Fujimori, Marc Arnaud, and Emmylou Homs.
Art Director: Eddine Noël
Editor: Ludovic Versace