‘Free!’ Anime Teases 2019, 2020 Projects

Free! wrapped up its third season in 2018, and the last episode teased that something new from the series was coming in 2020. Now thanks to a special event for the series, we know it’s actually a brand new film.

Not only will there be a new film project coming for the series in 2020, Free! Dive to the Future will actually be releasing a compilation film in Japan sometime this year as well.

As reported by @aitaikimochii on Twitter, a special event for the Free! franchise revealed that a Free! Dive to the Future compilation film will be hitting theaters in Japan on July 5. The screenings will also be offering a new episode of the series (specifically labeled as a new Season 3 episode) as well.

Along with this, the series teased that a new film for the franchise would be coming in 2020. The teaser visual for the new film featured a shirtless Haruka, though not much more has been announced about the project at this time. @aitaikimochii noted that the teaser for the compilation film had a teaser with the words “ROAD TO 2020,” so perhaps more about the new film will be revealed once the compilation film has made its way through theaters.

If you are not familiar with Free!, then you have time to catch up. The anime made its debut in July 2013 after it was adapted from a light novel by Koji Oji. Before the show was ordered, a short animated PV featuring the novel’s cast was released. Fans from all over the world flocked to the video, buzzing over its animation style and concept. So, when Kyoto Animation green-lit the project for a full season, few were surprised. When the anime’s first season aired, the show became a success with international fans despite its sports content. In 2014, a second season of the anime was released before an animated film debuted in December 2015.

Free! follows a group of high school students who were introduced as children on a local swim team. The anime’s primary lead Haruka is a prodigal swimmer who can think only about swimming but does not wish to turn his passion into a profession. When the boy teams back up with his friends Makoto and Nagisa on a swim team, Haruka is stunned when their third childhood friend reappears in his life. Rin, who had gone to hone his swimming skills abroad, is back in their hometown and holds plenty of bitterness towards his former friends. And, as the series goes on, fans watch as swimming rekindles the friends’ once-tight bonds.