‘Free!’ Reveals Teaser for 2019, 2020 Projects

When Free! wrapped up the third season of the series last year, the final episode teased that something new from the franchise would be making its way to screens in 2020. After a special event for the series, it was confirmed that the new project is actually a film aiming for a 2020 release.

Kyoto Animation announced its got two major anime projects for the Free! franchise coming in 2019 and 2020, and you can check out the teaser video reveal for the projects above.

Releasing on July 5, Free! Dive to the Future will be releasing a “reconstruction” film of the series, which is another way of saying a compilation film. Compilation films are common practices for popular anime series, though there’s a bit more incentive for seasoned fans as screenings will include a new Season 3 episode.

This is part of a “Road to 2020” push for the series, which will lead to a brand new film project aiming for a Summer 2019 release. There’s currently no information as to what the new film will entail, and whether or not it will go to the Olympics as teased in the past, but the end of the announcement trailer features a fierce new look at Haruka. This also coincides with the 2020 Olympics taking place in Japan, so there could be a definitive connection yet.

If you are not familiar with Free!, then you have time to catch up before the series debuts its new projects later this year and next year. Adapted from a light novel by Koji Oji, the anime made its debut in 2013. 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. The third season wrapped in 2018.

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.