Yesterday, Crunchyroll announced that it has acquired worldwide distribution rights for Makoto Shinkai’s next animated feature film. The film will be co-distributed globally by Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment to all countries, excluding Asia but including India, with CoMix Wave Films (CWF) stating that everyone involved is working hard on production.
Following the announcement, Shinkai touched on why the overseas press release came before anything was revealed domestically, saying that it was “down to internal circumstances.” The director has been working on this new project with his global partners for years now, aiming to reach audiences both in Japan and abroad.
About the film’s production, Shinkai says he’s devoted to making it a worthwhile watch for theatergoers:
“Booking a seat, paying a price that’s by no means cheap, and heading out the door to the cinema – watching a film is a costly form of entertainment. Our entire team is working tirelessly to create a film that’s worth every penny, and ideally one that’s so exceptionally entertaining you’ll feel you’ve got your money’s worth.”
While details on the movie itself are scarce for the time being, Shinkai says that the domestic announcement and theatrical release “(probably) aren’t that far off now.” Considering it’s been four years since his last film, Suzume, fans of Shinkai’s work are due for a good cry.
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