Rex: A Dinosaur’s Story – New Restoration
- Saturday, Dec 12, 2026, 4:00pm
- Sunday, Dec 13, 2026, 1:00pm
Screening location: SIFF Film Center – 167 Republican St, Seattle(located within the Seattle Center, just north of Climate Pledge Arena / east of KEXP and The Vera Project)
First-ever U.S. theatrical release! Merry REX-mas!
One of the most expensive Japanese films at the time of its release, REX: A DINOSAUR’S STORY, directed by storied industry mogul Haruki Kadokawa, follows Chie (Yumi Adachi), the young daughter of a paleontologist who befriends an adorable T-Rex. The pair soon find themselves on the run from everyone seeking to exploit the dino-discovery for profit—forcing Rex to act and model in endless advertisements for merchandise (that were part of the actual film’s promotion, in an ingenious media-mix promotional strategy spanning toys, manga and song… even helping to usher in Kentucky Fried Chicken as a de facto Christmas tradition in Japan!).
With expressive creature FX by Carlo Rambaldi (Alien, E.T., Possession), often beautiful cinematography, chase scenes by carriage, snowmobile and hot air balloon, in-camera height jokes, suit-mation effects and delightful Christmas imagery, REX is as adorable as it is unhinged by Western standards; a Holiday crowd pleaser for the whole family and a cult film in the making.
In Japanese with English subtitles.
“Rex: A Dinosaur’s Story could become a new Christmas movie tradition… Kadokawa’s direction is always dynamic. [He] films nature and constructed sets alike with genuine wonder… Rex retains a beating heart, never condescending to its intended audience of children while likely to please adults.” Steve Erickson, Screen Slate