Sword Art Online Progressive Announces New Film for 2022

By Nick Valdez

Sword Art Online Progressive has announced it will be launching a second movie in Japan next year! After much anticipation, the Sword Art Online anime has returned with a new feature film taking on the official companion series from original series creator Reki Kawahara, Sword Art Online Progressive. As many fans had suspected with the title of Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Aria of a Starless Night, this new movie only tackled the very first arc of the spin-off series, and now these movies will be continuing with a new entry next year. 

Titled Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Scherzo of a Dark Dusk, this new movie has been announced for a release in Japan next year. Unfortunately, this announcement comes with few details about what to expect but interestingly enough this title refers to the arc from Volume 4 of the series which tackles Kirito and Asuna's adventures on the fifth floor. Which means that there will also be a chunk of the original light novel story skipped over for this new movie (with currently no plans announced for a Concerto of Black and White adaptation), so Aria of a Starless Night's movie is all the more curious to see what comes to screen.

Unfortunately, it's far too early for international release plans to be revealed for the new movie, but fans outside of Japan will soon get the chance to see Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Aria of a Starless Night as Funimation is releasing the movie in theaters and on IMAX screens on December 3 for fans in the United States and Canada (with tickets going on sale November 5), December 9 in Australia and New Zealand (with tickets going on sale November 9), and will also be coming soon to the United Kingdom, Ireland and Latin America. They describe the film as such:

"This is a tale of the time before "Lightning Flash" and "The Black Swordsman" were known by those names…The day that she happened to don the NerveGear, Asuna Yuuki was a third-year middle school student who'd never even touched an online game before. On November 6, 2022, the world's first VRMMORPG, Sword Art Online, is officially launched. But the players, still euphoric over having logged in, suddenly find themselves trapped inside the game when the Game Master deprives them of any way to log out.

The Game Master then gives them this warning 'This may be a game, but it's not something you play.' If a player dies in-game, they die in the real world. Hearing this, all of the players panic, and pandemonium reigns. One of those players is Asuna, but despite not yet knowing the rules of this world, she sets off to conquer the floating iron castle, Aincrad, whose peak is too high to be seen. As the days go by in this world where death is never very far away, she has a fateful encounter. And then, a parting…Though she's at the mercy of the reality before her eyes, Asuna fights on with all her might until someone appears before her: the aloof swordsman, Kirito…"

How do you feel about Sword Art Online Progressive continuing with a new movie? What are you hoping to see in action? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animated and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

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