Makoto Shinkai Next Film Gets Global Crunchyroll Release

Makoto Shinkai’s next movie has a distributor before it has a title. Crunchyroll has acquired global distribution rights outside Asia, excluding India, for the director’s upcoming feature, and will co distribute internationally with Sony Pictures Entertainment. The deal was announced in August, and Shinkai has said a theatrical release is probably not far away.

The most bankable name in anime film

Your Name, Weathering With You and Suzume made Shinkai the only anime director besides Hayao Miyazaki whose films are global box office events on name alone. Crunchyroll and Sony handled the international release of Suzume, so this deal continues an established partnership rather than starting a new one. What is unusual is the timing: locking distribution this early, with story and title still under wraps, suggests the film is further along than the public silence implies.

Shinkai typically works on a three to four year cycle, and Suzume arrived in late 2022. The math points to a 2027 release, which would make this one of the biggest anime films of that year before a single frame has been shown.

What to watch for

A title reveal and teaser are the next logical steps, and Shinkai’s own comments suggest they are coming. The distribution deal was reported by Anime Corner.

My take: Shinkai is the rare director whose next film is an event by default. Distribution locked this early means the wait is shorter than we think.