One Piece: Stampede to Get U.S. Theatrical Run from Funimation

One Piece has kept busy this year with its TV series, but that isn't to say the anime has been ignoring its big screen duties. Last month, fans in Japan were the first to see One Piece: Stampede go live, and it has gotten universal praise from fans. Now, netizens are pleading for the movie to come to international markets, and it seems that wish has been granted.

Earlier today, Funimation eased fans by announcing a limited theatrical run of One Piece: Stampede will be coming to the U.S.

"We are so excited to bring 'One Piece: Stampede' to North America as part of our 20th anniversary celebration of this beloved anime series," said Colin Decker, General Manager of Funimation. "It's a blockbuster film that will delight new audiences and long-time fans alike," Colin Decker, executive vice president and general manager of Funimation, said in a new statement.

So far, there is no word on when the movie will come to theaters, but there is a release window. Funimation says the film will go live this fall, so fans will not have to wait too-too long to catch up with the Straw Hats on the big screen.

"'One Piece: Stampede' is a bold celebration of One Piece and its unique blend of action, humor and heart," Masayuki Endo, President and CEO of Toei Animation, said.

"Even among those who are new to the anime, Monkey D. Luffy and his crew are instantly recognizable pop culture stars. 'One Piece: Stampede' has plenty of surprises for every viewer, and we're excited for North American audiences to participate in this important anniversary event."

For those unsure if they'll check out the film, the consensus from audiences says this is a must-see movie. One Piece: Stampede has already become one of the highest-grossing movies in Japan of this year. In fact, the film has already racked up 5 billion yen at the domestic box office before its theatrical run in the UK or the U.S. Fans are thinking the movie has the potential to outgross One Piece Film: Z which stands at just under 7 billion yen total.

So, will you be checking out this film in theaters? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

Eiichiro Oda's One Piece first began serialization in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump in 1997. It has since been collected into over 80 volumes, and has been a critical and commercial success worldwide with many of the volumes breaking printing records in Japan. The manga has even set a Guinness World Record for the most copies published for the same comic book by a single author, and is the best-selling manga series worldwide with over 430 million copies sold. The series still ranked number one in manga sales in 2018, which surprised fans of major new entries.