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Makoto Shinkai has been one of the most exciting directors in anime for more than 20 years, so it isn’t surprising that Sony and Crunchyroll eagerly nabbed the distribution rights to the director’s next film. His previous three films, including 2023’s Suzume, have collectively earned almost $900 million worldwide. Without a title or even a release window announced, Crunchyroll is already looking to bring the next Makoto Shinkai anime movie to the world.

Sony and Crunchyroll’s enthusiasm for the next Makoto Shinkai movie is not surprising, but it is a bit unusual to see them making this announcement so early in the film’s development. The release window, title, and even the general theme aren’t known yet. While it is likely they know more than the public, it feels very much like Crunchyroll is banking heavily on Shinkai being able to repeat his previous success.

Makoto Shinkai’s track record is, admittedly, very impressive. Starting in 2016, he has created three of the most successful and critically acclaimed anime films of all time. Your Name, Weathering with You, and Suzume saw Shinkai compared to the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, which is perhaps the highest praise an anime film director can receive.

Crunchyroll announced last week that they had acquired the worldwide distribution rights to Makoto Shinkai’s next film. This includes everywhere outside Asia but does include India, where the streamer has been making a valiant attempt to gain a strong foothold. They previously distributed Shinkai’s Suzume in 2023, helping the movie become one of the most successful anime films of all time.

Each week, Popverse's resident anime expert Trent Cannon runs down the latest and, dare we say "greatest," in anime and manga in Popverse Jump. Some recent columns have included... 

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