Makoto Shinkai’s Next Anime Film Secures Global Distribution by Crunchyroll, Director Says Theatrical Release Is Probably Not Far Away

Crunchyroll has obtained worldwide distribution rights outside Asia, except India, for acclaimed director Makoto Shinkai’s upcoming feature film. Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment will jointly co‑distribute the next anime movie on the international market.

The news was released on August 12. Details such as the film’s title, plot, and scheduled release remain undisclosed.

The venture extends Shinkai’s partnership with Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures, the firms that previously managed the overseas release of his 2022 work Suzume. That picture ultimately grossed over $300 million globally, secured a Golden Globe nod for Best Animated Feature, and was chosen for the competition program at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival.

Makoto Shinkai Reacts to the Pre‑Domestic International Announcements

After the overseas distribution news broke, CoMix Wave Films stated that partner companies overseas had started issuing announcements before the domestic movie reveal.

The studio said:

“Concerning director Makoto Shinkai’s newest project, now in production at CWF, our international distribution allies have started issuing statements about handling the film in their regions.

We remain committed to advancing the production with the help of many collaborators to bring this movie to viewers worldwide. We encourage everyone to anticipate it and stay alert for more information.

Shinkai also took to his personal X account to explain that the overseas announcements preceding the Japan‑based production reveal stemmed from certain internal factors. He noted that the crew has been partnering with global allies for several years with the aim of delivering the film to viewers everywhere.

Shinkai penned the following:

“A number of our overseas partners have issued statements about the new animated film we are presently producing. The reason the international announcements appeared prior to the Japanese production reveal was due to some internal matters, hehe. Nonetheless, we have been cooperating with our worldwide allies for several years with the intention of making the movie accessible to audiences globally, both domestically and abroad.

Buying a ticket, spending a not‑tiny amount, leaving home and journeying to a cinema—watching a film is an entertainment that demands a significant commitment. We are all exerting effort to craft a movie that justifies that investment and hopefully proves so delightfully engaging that viewers feel they received more value than they paid.

The production announcement in Japan and the theatrical rollout are likely not far off now. I hope you’re excited for it!

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Shinkai’s earlier theatrical releases are Your Name, Weathering With You, The Garden of Words, 5 Centimeters per Second, Children Who Chase Lost Voices, and The Place Promised in Our Early Days.

After its 2016 debut, Your Name. emerged as one of the top‑grossing anime movies on the global market and garnered Shinkai the Excellent Director of the Year and Screenplay of the Year awards at the 40th Japan Academy Film Prize. Weathering With You, released in 2019, captured the Animation of the Year prize at the 43rd Japan Academy Film Prize and represented Japan in the Best International Feature Film category at the 92nd Academy Awards.

His latest picture, Suzume, became the third straight Shinkai film to draw more than ten million viewers in Japan. It also revived the Berlin International Film Festival’s tradition by being the first Japanese animated work in many years to be entered in competition.

Shinkai had originally intended to disclose further information about the forthcoming movie during 2025.

Source: Press Release, Makoto Shinkai Official X

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