Crunchyroll’s Head of Theatrical & Distribution Mitchel Berger shared details of the upcoming global theatrical rollout of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle in a panel during the Cannes Marche’s Animation Day and Streaming Forum.
He also explained that while anime has a huge following on streaming platforms globally, it’s also bringing audiences back to theatres in several parts of the world.
Infinity Castle, the first film in a trilogy continuing the Demon Slayer franchise, is scheduled for release in Japan on July 18 via Aniplex, followed by select Asian territories through Sony in August. It will then roll out in the rest of the world, including North America, in September.
The 2020 instalment in the franchise, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train, grossed more than $500M worldwide, one of the first films to jumpstart box office after the cinema closures of the pandemic. In addition to Japan, the film was a hit in territories including North America, France, Korea and Taiwan.
“Coming out of the pandemic, the release of Demon Slayer was a moment where we gave people a reason to come back to the cinema and get together in person again,” said Berger. “The pandemic gave them a chance to dive into anime [on streaming platforms], and coming out of that, the fanbase has really begun to grow.”
Referring to how streaming and theatrical feed into each other, he added: “Then we have a show like Solo Leveling, which is incredibly high-quality, that feeds the existing fan base and brings in new fans. So it’s this virtuous circle of content that’s driven the growth over the last few years. Anime has always been bit counterculture, a bit niche, but it really has become mainstream in many ways.”
Solo Leveling, a series based on a Korean webtoon, has been a big hit on the Crunchyroll streaming service (which Sony recently announced has reached 17M subs). Berger echoed what Crunchyroll President Rahul Purini told Deadline a few weeks back — that there’s hope for a third season of Solo Leveling.
“We just concluded Season 2, which did really well for us, so I’m sure there will be more content in future. We’re not sure exactly when, but it will be here and fans will continue to see the story.”
Berger also talked about the regions where he sees growth potential for anime in the future: “There’s close to a billion people worldwide who are interested in anime. But when we look at specific territories, there’s big opportunity for us in India. Southeast Asia is also a place where we think there’s a lot of growth.”
While anime is already well established in France, Berger said there’s still room for expansion in some other European territories; as well as the Middle East with its young demographic, and Latin America where some of the films have done big numbers at the box office: “There’s a hunger for it, a rich history for anime in Latin America, and for us at Crunchyroll, it’s about just tapping into that and making sure that we’re bringing them new stuff.”
Asked about Crunchyroll’s relationship with its parent Sony Group, Berger said “being part of the Sony family has really accelerated our ability to grow.”
In addition to partnering with Sony for U.S. and international theatrical distribution, as well as home video, Crunchyroll is working more closely with Aniplex, also part of the Sony group, which produces Demon Slayer, Solo Leveling and other properties. Upcoming projects include Ghost Of Tsushima, based on the PlayStation video game, in partnership with Aniplex, Sony Music and Playstation Productions.
Speaking to Deadline on the sidelines of the panel, Berger expanded on Crunchyroll’s other offline activities – conventions, concerts and collectibles, with the latter including popcorn buckets, tickets and posters – which are all becoming key components of anime fandom beyond watching films on the big screen.
“People are looking for experiences and anyone who’s ever been to a really well-attended, passionate screening knows the audience becomes part of the experience, along with meeting these people in real life, because a lot of these folks have maybe connected online,” Berger said.
“They’re looking for that entire experience. Not everyone can get to a convention but you can go to your local theatre and experience something very close with 200 of your closest friends.”
