IRON BOY U.S. Theatrical Release Set for January 22

Louis Clichy’s animated feature Iron Boy will open in New York and Los Angeles on January 22, 2027. It will first receive an awards-qualifying run in December 2026.

Sony Pictures Classics will release director Louis Clichy’s feature-length animated film Iron Boy in New York and Los Angeles on January 22, 2027. Before that, limited screenings are scheduled for December 2026 to qualify for awards consideration. In France, the film is scheduled for theatrical release on October 14, 2026, meaning its U.S. distribution schedule has now taken shape.

A Boy’s Transformation with an Iron Brace

The story is set on a farm in France’s Beauce region in the 1980s. Eleven-year-old Christophe wants to work on the farm alongside his father, but he begins to lean over and collapse at school, at the dinner table, and on the tractor. A doctor has him wear an iron corset to support his body, and after being pushed out of farm life, Christophe encounters a new routine through music and his friend Clara.

The Difference Between a Limited Screening and a Wide Release

The December screenings are focused on meeting awards-submission requirements rather than broad distribution. By contrast, the January 22 release in New York and Los Angeles will be the film’s first U.S. theatrical window for introducing it fully to audiences. Although these are two stages for the same film, they serve different purposes: the initial limited screenings support awards-season consideration, while the subsequent theatrical release expands audience access.

Recognition at Cannes and Annecy

Iron Boy received the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as the Jury Award, the Audience Award for a Feature Film, and the Gan Foundation Distribution Award at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. It is Clichy’s first feature directed alone, and Sony Pictures Classics’ official description presents it as a story that connects a rural family’s relationships and Christophe’s physical transformation with the discovery of music and friendship.