Anime Maestro Makoto Shinkai’s Latest Feature susume has locked in its highly anticipated theatrical release dates in North America, Europe, Latin America and Australia. The film will be released in North American theaters on April 14, thanks to distribution partners Crunchyroll, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Wild Bunch International and Eurozoom.
Other territories scheduled to exit include France and Malta on April 12; Australia, Brazil, Germany, Mexico and New Zealand on April 13; and Austria, Belgium, Gibraltar, Ireland, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom on April 14, day and date with North America.
susume is Shinkai’s sequel to grow old with you (2019), which grossed $193 million worldwide and was Japan’s official Oscar submission in the Best International Film category last year. His creative and commercial breakthrough in 2016 your name set a new standard for Japanese anime’s global potential, earning $358 million worldwide on a production budget of just $6 million.
A slight fantasy of youth, susume tells the coming-of-age story of 17-year-old protagonist Suzume, set in various disaster-stricken locations across Japan, “where she must close doors causing havoc.”
Continues Crunchyroll’s summary: “Unprecedented landscapes, encounters and farewells… A myriad of challenges await him on his journey. Despite all the obstacles in her path, Suzume’s adventure sheds a ray of hope on our own struggles against the hardest roads of anxiety and stress that make up everyday life. This story of closed doors that connect our past to the present and the future will leave a lasting impression on all of our hearts.
susume was embraced by critics in Asia, with some hailing it as one of Shinkai’s most accomplished works to date, with its usual stunning visuals but a firmer hand on whimsical and emotional storytelling.
Anime’s global popularity has been steadily climbing for quite some time – even during the industry’s hardships of the pandemic. At the height of the lockdowns in 2020, when total US box office sales fell 80% for the year and Japan’s theatrical market fell 45%, the total Japanese film industry anime contracted by just 3.5%, with a market value of around $21.3 billion (over $2.4 trillion). yen). During that same difficult year, the anime industry also produced its biggest theatrical hit of all time: Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Trainan action-packed period fantasy that grossed nearly $48 million in North America, $365 million in Japan, and $504 million worldwide.
Japanese anime continued to post big numbers in 2022. The newly released franchise installment One Piece Movie Red earned $133 million in Japan and $12.8 million in North America for a worldwide total of $166 million and counting.
According to consultancy Parrot Analytics, global demand for anime content has grown 118% over the past two years, making it one of the fastest growing content genres (the company measures its demand measurement by combining consumer data with social media activity, social video and independent media). to research).