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

While the movie’s North American release will be handled by Crunchyroll, the streaming giants will partner with Sony Pictures Entertainment to distribute the movie in other regions namely, Latin America, South America, Australia/New Zealand, the Middle East, Africa and portions of Europe.

The French and German release of the movie will be handled by Crunchyroll, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Wild Bunch.

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.

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

The voice actor for the role of Suzume is currently undecided, and no auditions have been held yet.

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.”

The officially announced story of Suzume no Tojimari is described as:

Suzume is a 17-year-old, who lives in a quiet town in Kyushu. One day, she meets a traveling young man who is looking for a “door.” Suzume decides to follow him and discovers an old door in the ruins in the mountains. As if drawn by something, Suzume reaches out for the door… What follows is Suzume’s liberation and growth as she closes the “doors” that cause misfortune in abandoned places around Japan.

Source: Crunchyroll