Crunchyroll, in association with Sony Pictures Entertainment, Wild Bunch International and Eurozoom, announced today that it will bring the new film from author Makoto Shinkai, suzumeto theaters (excluding Asia) from April 12, 2023. You can check out the trailer by scrolling down.
The film’s worldwide release dates include: April 12 in France and Malta; on April 13 in Australia, Brazil, Germany, Mexico and New Zealand; and on April 14 in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Gibraltar, Ireland, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Additional 2023 dates will be announced for other Latin American and EMEA territories.
Last May during Cannes, Crunchyroll acquired TOHO’s global (excluding Asia) marketing and distribution rights for Shinkai’s suzumeproduced by CoMix Wave Films and STORY inc.
suzume debuted in Japan on November 11 and has now surpassed 5.6 million admissions. suzume it has also earned 7.5 billion yen (approximately US$55 million) by holding the No. 1 spot at the Japanese box office for 3 consecutive weeks.
In North America, Crunchyroll is the sole distributor. In Latin America, Australia/New Zealand, the Middle East, and parts of Europe, the film will be distributed by Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
In French- and German-speaking Europe, the film will be co-distributed by Crunchyroll, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Wild Bunch International and Eurozoom.
Award-winning creator, writer, and director Makoto Shinkai has been a visionary in the animation space for decades, with his most recent films being Your name. (2016) and growing old with you (2019), which have catapulted him as a leading animation author with international viewers.
growing old with you was selected as Japan’s entry for the 2020 Academy Awards Best International Feature Film category and nominated in four categories at the 47th Annual Annie Awards, including Best Animated Independent Film.
suzume is the story of a girl who travels through various ruins in Japan while closing doors and causing disaster. The official synopsis is as follows:
“On the other side of the door, was Time in its entirety: Suzume is a coming-of-age story for 17-year-old protagonist Suzume, set in various disaster-stricken locations across Japan, where she must lock the doors causing devastation.
“Suzume’s journey begins in a quiet town in Kyushu (located in southwestern Japan) when she meets a young man who tells her, ‘I’m looking for a door.’ What Suzume finds is a single weathered gate, standing amidst the ruins as if protected from whatever catastrophe might strike.
“Seemingly drawn to its power, Suzume reaches for the knob… Doors begin to open one after another across Japan, unleashing destruction on anyone nearby. Suzume must close these portals to prevent further disasters.
“– The stars, then the sunset and the morning sky. Within that realm, it was as if all time had melted into the sky…
“Never-before-seen landscapes, meetings and partings… A myriad of challenges await her on her journey. Despite all the obstacles in her way, Suzume’s adventure sheds a ray of hope on our own struggles against the more difficult paths of anxiety and limitations that make up everyday life.
“This story of closing doors connecting our past to the present and the future will leave a lasting impression on all of our hearts. Drawn by these mysterious gates, Suzume’s journey is about to begin.”
