The much-awaited Japanese animated film One Piece Film Gold will be released across North America and fans are more than happy about it. Funimation Films reportedly acquired the anime series from Toei Animation.

The original creator and executive producer of "One Piece" anime series is Eiichiro Oda. The upcoming film is the 13th film in the franchise and the first since 2012.

According to MovieWeb, "One Piece Film: Gold" became a smash hit in Japan and has earned more than $47.8 million at the box office, causing it to be the biggest "One Pice" movie ever and the 6th highest grossing film of the year.

The movie will be distributed by Funimation Films in both U.S. and Canada as a limited theatrical event available from January 10 to 17, 2017.

"Fans have been clamoring for news on 'One Piece Film: Gold' and we're excited to announce that we'll be bringing this blockbuster movie to U.S. and Canadian audiences. We're confident that this film will create a new generation of fans for the franchise as well as grow the audience for its animated series."

One Piece Film: Gold premiered in Japan on July 23, 2016 and grossed $10.9 million on its opening weekend with 821,100 sold tickets. This implies how the film has been well received by both fans and the media.

Otaku USA Magazine even praised it, saying, "Gold manages to accomplish the goals of any good summer popcorn flick, filling its two-hour runtime with laughs and large-scale action set pieces."

According to IGN, in One Piece Film: Gold, the Straw Hat Pirates find themselves in a sticky situation after sailing to Gran Tesoro. The said place is a city of entertainment beyond the laws of the government and a sanctuary for the world's most infamous pirates, Marines and filthy rich millionaires.

As for the ticket sales, it will be announced in the upcoming weeks, said Gen Fukunaga, CEO and President of Funimation.