My Hero Academia Studio Expands Horizons With New Film Division

Studio Bones has become a giant in the anime business and not just due to My Hero Academia alone. The production house first cut its teeth by lending a hand to Cowboy Bebop and has since been responsible for major series including Fullmetal Alchemist, Bungo Stray Dogs, Metallic Rouge, and more. In a surprising new announcement, Bones is expanding on its silver screen work as the studio has announced that it is opening a new film division to help with its overall workload. As anime films bring in more profits at the box office, it makes sense that Bones would be looking to capitalize on the medium’s growing success.

The new film division has been named “Bones Film Co. Ltd” and is promising to help the studio as a whole in creating new projects for the big screen. This new division is hardly the first time that Bones has created films in its history, as My Hero Academia alone has warranted four feature-length films that have followed Deku and his fellow crime-fighting students in Class 1-A. Aside from the UA Academy movies, Bones also created films in the Fullmetal Alchemist franchise, a Bungo Stray Dogs movie, Eureka Seven films, and many other examples. 

The Decision For Bones’ New Division

While many mysteries surround the future of this new movie division for Studio Bones, a recent interview with the studio’s co-founder Toshihiro Kawamoto sheds some light on the decision to expand, “We could have difficulties if a title becomes so successful that it is imperative that a sequel be produced. Maybe then we have to open another studio or hire more staff.” With many franchises helping to populate Bones’ ever-expanding catalog, it makes sense that they would need to expand to handle the overall workload.

Bones’ Future

Of course, the biggest property for Bones in the present and the future is My Hero Academia. The anime adaptation is preparing to end its seventh season, playing catch-up to its source material. While an eighth season has yet to be confirmed, it would make sense that the television series would need at least one more season to bring the story of Class 1-A to a close. The fourth film of the superhero shonen series, My Hero Academia: You’re Next, has already made waves in Japan when it hit theaters earlier this year and is hoping to do the same when it arrives in North America on October 11th. A fifth film in the shonen franchise hasn’t been confirmed as of the writing of this article. 

One of the biggest upcoming anime adaptations that Bones is planning for 2025 is Gachiakuta. Debuting in 2022 as a part of Weekly Shonen Jump, the series has a similar art style to that of My Hero Academia from creator Kei Urana but holds a story that is far different from that of Deku’s. Rather than focusing on superheroes, the story features its main character Rudo attempting to survive his current situation in the “slums” of his world. Framed for a murder he didn’t commit, Rudo is exiled from his hometown and attempts to survive in an even more harsh environment but discovers some much-needed aid. Bones has yet to confirm a release date for this series but it has the makings to be one of the biggest new anime arrivals of next year. 

Want to stay up to date on Bones and their upcoming anime projects, movies and otherwise? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the worlds from Bones and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.