The official website of Suzume no Tojimari recently announced that the Makoto Shinkai movie will be receiving an IMAX release. To celebrate the news, 3 of Shinkai’s previous works will also be screened in IMAX theatres across Japan.

The screenings will begin on September 30, 2022 and will be screened across 41 theatres in Japan. The three movies to receive special screening are Your Name, Weathering With You and 5 Centimeters Per Second.

This will be the first time 5 centimeters per second will receive an IMAX screening.

Fans who purchase the tickets for these 3 movies will also be  eligible to participate in a lottery to watch an advance IMAX screening of Suzume no Tojimari on November 7.

The latest trailer of the movie unveiled the voice of Nanoha Hara, who plays the character Suzume in the movie.

Director Makoto Shinkai said that he made the trailer video to introduce the protagonist Suzume.

The trailer ends with Suzume, who was mesmerized by what lied on other side of the door, uttering the words, “Beyond the place where I wandered, there was the sky, as if all the time had melted together”.

Shinkai had announced his movie, Suzume no Tojimari, in a press conference on Dec 15, 2021. It is set to release in theatres across Japan on Nov 11, 2022. The movie is also getting adapted into a novel, with Shinkai himself penning the work. The novel will release in Japan on Aug 24, 2022.

Crunchyroll also announced on May 19, 2022, that it will distribute Makoto Shinkai’s latest anime movie, Suzume no Tojimari, worldwide (excluding Asia) from early 2023.

The currently announced staff members for Suzume no Tojimari include:

• Character design: Masayoshi Tanaka
• Animation director: Kenichi Tsuchiya
• Art director: Takumi Tanji
• Studio: CoMix Wave Film
• Production producer: STORY inc.
• Distribution: Toho Animation

Shinkai is directing and writing the screenplay for the film. He’s also the author of the original story. The characters are designed by Masayoshi Tanaka. The animation director is Kenichi Tsuchiya. The art director is Takumi Tanji. The film is produced by CoMix Wave Films and Story Inc. The film will be distributed by TOHO.

Shinkai tweeted about the announcement, commenting that  Suzume no Tojimari is a “modern adventure story” with action elements of Suzume traveling across Japan. He said that “It should be a fun movie.”

Along with Hara, the Hokuto Matsumura of SixTONES idol group will also be debuting as a VA in the movie. He will play the role of Sota Munakata, a character who goes on a journey with Suzume as the “Door-closing Master”. Shinkai personally auditioned him for the role. Shinkai stated that the “inner richness” of Matsumura’s voice was the reason he got selected for the role.

CoMix Wave Films describes the story as “On the other side of the door, was time in its entirety—
17-year-old Suzume’s journey begins in a quiet town in Kyushu when she encounters a young man who tells her, “I’m looking for a door.” What Suzume finds is a single weathered door standing upright in the midst of ruins as though it was shielded from whatever catastrophe struck. Seemingly mesmerized by its power, Suzume reaches for the knob…Doors begin to open one after another all across Japan, unleashing destruction upon any who are near. Suzume must close these portals to prevent further disaster.

The stars
The sunset
The morning sky
Within that realm, it was as though all time had melted together in the sky—

Drawn in by this mysterious door, Suzume’s journey is about to begin.

Source: Official Website of Suzume No Tojimari