Crunchyroll Already Confirmed Streaming Your Name Director’s Upcoming Film

Makoto Shinkai is one of the most renowned filmmakers in the anime industry, best known for his 2016 film Your Name. He is also the founder of CoMix Wave Films, an animation studio dedicated to produce visually-appealing anime and focusing primarily on romantic series. The director’s journey began in 2004 with his debut feature-length film, The Place Promised in Our Early Days. The film received critical acclaim, kickstarting his journey as an anime director. However, it wasn’t until his groundbreaking film Your Name was released in 2016 that Shinkai earned global recognition. The film is commemorating its 10th anniversary this year, and it returned to the theatres this month with a 4k remastered version.

However, while Your Name is often considered his best work, Shinkai is also known for several award-winning films including Weathering With You, Suzume, and more. Fans are always looking forward to more projects by the legendary director, but before he could announce his next project, Crunchyroll stepped in to acquire the rights along with Sony Pictures Entertainment. The official website confirms that it has acquired the worldwide co-distribution rights outside of Asia (except India) with Sony Pictures Entertainment. This also means that following the theatrical release of Shinkai’s upcoming film, Crunchyroll will also be streaming it for fans across the globe.

Makoto Shinkai Confirms a Major Update on His Upcoming Film

Quoting a post from his animation studio, Shinkai opened up about Crunchyroll’s announcement. He shared, “Our overseas partners have put out several releases regarding our new animated feature film that’s currently in production. The fact that the overseas releases came before the domestic production announcement is due to some internal circumstances, haha, but in any case, we’ve been continuing production in coordination with our global partners for years now, so that we can widely deliver the film both domestically and internationally.”

He concluded the message with an update on the film, saying, “The domestic production announcement and theatrical release aren’t all that far off anymore (probably). We hope you’ll look forward to it!”

The film has been under production for years, and Shinkai even confirmed working on it during the New Year’s Celebration on December 31st, 2024. Even without an official announcement or any kind of information on it, his next film is already causing quite a lot of buzz thanks to Shinkai’s reputation. While he didn’t share any date, we can expect the film to be announced before the end of the year.

Makoto Shinkai Will Release His First After Producer Koichiro Ito’s Arrest

Koichiro Ito worked with Shinkai for several years and became one of the most renowned producers in the industry. His most notable projects include Your Name and Suzume, proving the long-standing work relationship with the director. However, he was arrested in 2024 after being charged with coercing underage girls into obscene acts in exchange for money, which violated Japan’s Child Prostitution and Pornography Prohibition Act.

Following the producer’s arrest, Shinkai expressed his condolences to the victims. He also assured fans that the quality of his upcoming film won’t be affected because of this. This is not only his first film after the producer’s arrest, but also since the premiere of Suzume in 2022.

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