Crunchyroll has secured international distribution rights to Makoto Shinkai’s next animated feature, extending its relationship with one of Japan’s most commercially successful filmmakers following the global release of Suzume. The still-untitled project will be distributed by Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment across most markets outside Asia, with India included in the deal.
For now, almost everything about the film itself remains under wraps. There is no title, release date or plot synopsis, leaving the distribution agreement as the first significant piece of news surrounding Shinkai’s next project. That secrecy is unlikely to dampen interest, given the director’s track record over the past decade.
The deal also reflects how dramatically the international market for theatrical anime has changed. Anime films were once largely treated as specialist releases outside Japan, often receiving limited theatrical runs before moving to home entertainment. The success of filmmakers such as Shinkai, alongside major franchises and Studio Ghibli releases, has helped turn high-profile Japanese animation into a much more established part of the global cinema calendar.
Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures previously handled international distribution for Suzume, Shinkai’s 2022 film that arrived in many overseas markets in 2023. The movie earned more than $300 million worldwide and competed at the Berlin International Film Festival. It later received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Feature, reinforcing Shinkai’s increasingly prominent position beyond the traditional anime audience.
That international profile had already been established by Your Name. in 2016. The romantic fantasy became one of the highest-grossing anime films ever and transformed Shinkai from an acclaimed animation filmmaker into a global box-office name. He followed it with Weathering With You in 2019, which was selected as Japan’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards.
Shinkai’s career, however, stretches considerably further back. His early work included the self-produced Voices of a Distant Star in 2002, followed by The Place Promised in Our Early Days, 5 Centimeters Per Second, Children Who Chase Lost Voices and The Garden of Words. Across those films, he developed a recognisable approach built around detailed environments, emotionally distant characters and stories where romance frequently intersects with science fiction or supernatural events.
Securing the next Makoto Shinkai film is therefore a notable addition to Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures’ theatrical anime strategy. Crunchyroll has increasingly operated beyond its origins as a streaming service, using theatrical distribution to connect major anime releases with an audience that now extends well beyond dedicated fans.
The unanswered question is what Shinkai does next. After three consecutive films that significantly expanded his commercial reach, expectations will inevitably be high. With no story, title or release window disclosed, audiences currently have little more than the director’s name to work with — but at this stage of Shinkai’s career, that alone is enough to make the project one of the more closely watched upcoming anime films.
