The Future of Anime on the Big Screen Looks Bright

Key Takeaways

• Anime films like My Hero Academia & LOTR: War of the Rohirrim are seeing bigger international theatrical releases.
• Toho International & Warner Bros. are leading the distribution, signaling a shift in how anime is being brought to the U.S.
• Success of recent films like Godzilla Minus One and demand for Japanese cinema in the West are driving bigger opportunities for anime in theaters.

Movies were meant to be seen on the big screen, and anime is no different, which makes it quite a relief that theatrical releases of anime have gotten much bigger internationally over the last decade. This fall, the films My Hero Academia: You’re Next, and The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim represent a subtle but significant shift in how anime is being brought to the U.S.

Anime fans have become accustomed to turning to companies like Crunchyroll or GKIDS for news about anime coming to theaters, as they are the ones most likely to distribute it to theaters. However, with the two aforementioned releases, these films have somewhat broken the mold, being distributed by Toho International and Warner Bros. respectively, suggesting a larger release than usual.

My Hero Academia Comes To Theaters Thanks To… Godzilla?

Considering that Funimation released the previous three films in the My Hero Academia franchise, most could be forgiven for assuming Crunchyroll would nab the fourth for a release in the States. After all, Crunchyroll absorbed Funimation in 2022 and was already dabbling in theatrical releases itself before then. We even made the error of assuming such in our recent feature on fall anime releases, which is especially funny in retrospect, since the truth was already out there.

At Anime Expo 2024, during a My Hero Academia panel, it was announced that Toho International would be bringing the fourth movie to theaters in the U.S. starting October 11. The film will premiere in both Japanese with subtitles and in English. As to the reason for the change, it could easily be written off as an effect of the franchise’s enduring popularity, but an interview with Toho International’s president, Koji Ueda, suggests a more recent incentive.

Godzilla Minus One Was Very Successful in the West

Mark Hughes of Forbes spoke to him about the decision to distribute it in the U.S., for which Ueda cited the success of 2023’s Godzilla Minus One as a key reason. The latest in the classic monster movie franchise was planned to receive a limited release, but it turned into a months-long run that grossed over $56 million in North America, breaking records for foreign films. From Ueda’s perspective, this was a sign of a big demand for Japanese cinema in the West.

Moviegoers were surprised and delighted, and a spotlight was shined on how what some might call ‘niche’ content can draw in audiences. This learning has driven us to continue exploring new opportunities to bring Japanese cinema to the North American screens. With
My Hero Academia: You’re Next
, Toho International is honored to be bringing yet another iconic Japanese franchise to US audiences this October.

What Does This Mean Beyond My Hero Academia?

This is pretty cool, though some might wonder exactly what this means for future anime films beyond this newest shōnen action spectacle. While it would be premature to assume My Hero’s fourth movie will come anywhere close to Godzilla’s success, Toho’s willingness to bet on American audiences shows they’re looking to go bigger.

If My Hero Academia: You’re Next is given a theatrical run even half as long as Minus One and is successful, the doors could be blown wide open. Being the largest film production and distribution company in Japan, Toho’s name is attached to a lot of anime. Not only the My Hero Academia movies but also Makoto Shinkai films like 2022’s Suzume. Toho Animation, in particular, produced Spy x Family Code: White, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, and Promare, just in the past few years.

Overall, with Toho International keeping its eye on the Western market, it could mean larger distribution, with longer theatrical runs, and maybe even bigger marketing budgets. That last part will especially be key, as while Godzilla Minus One benefited greatly from word-of-mouth, other releases might not be so lucky if the marketing falters.

Lord of the Rings Is Back And Prettier Than Ever

Toho investing in bringing anime to the West is one thing, but Warner Bros helping to create anime for the Western market to begin with might have been even more baffling. Not in a bad way, granted, but leading up to the release of the trailer, it was hard to believe that The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim was a real thing. Especially with Peter Jackson producing and the director of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Kenji Kamiyama, at the helm.

This is a hand-drawn animated film being released by a major motion picture studio right in the middle of the holiday season and being marketed like any other film. In a landscape where animation enthusiasts often feel compelled to fight to have the medium recognized as cinema, The Lord of the Rings’ new project feels like a blessing. More than that, however, it comes with quite a lot of pressure not to screw it up.

Why This Film Needs to Be Good

Adult animation has only gotten bolder in recent years, between series like Powerhouse Animation’s Castlevania and Titmouse Inc.’s Scavenger’s Reign. Renowned artists like Guillermo Del Toro have raised their voices in support of the medium at a time when the preservation of that art is at its most prescient and dire. At the risk of sounding dramatic, The War of the Rohirrim – and projects like it – are more important than ever.

The fact that it exists alone is awesome, but if The War of the Rohirrim is a success, it could open a door similar to what Godzilla Minus One might do for My Hero Academia: You’re Next. It would send a loud message that hand-drawn animation still has a place in American cinema and that adult animation need not be relegated to crass comedies or the otherwise niche. Despite recent hardships, the animated medium is in a strong place, and stands to get even stronger, should we show it the support it needs.

Sources: Anime News Network, Forbes​​​​​

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Originally Appeared Here