Author: Newsroom
The Celebrated Animated Film with Overwhelming Critical and Audience Praise Has Surpassed over $300 Million at the Global Box Office and Garnered Early Award Contender Recognition
Culver City, California, October 11, 2023 – Crunchyroll announced today that celebrated auteur filmmaker Makoto Shinkai’s animated masterpiece “Suzume” will return to North American theaters for a special engagement beginning on Friday, October 27. Sony Pictures Entertainment will release Crunchyroll’s “Suzume” in theaters, and audiences will be able to discover or revisit the critically-lauded film when it returns to over 200 theaters across the United States and select cities in Canada. The film will be available both in Japanese with English subtitles and dubbed in English. Tickets are now on sale at suzume-movie.com.
“Suzume” had its International Premiere in February 2023 at the Berlin International FIlm Festival (“Berlinale”), marking the first time that an anime feature film screened in the coveted competition section in over two decades. The film was met with critical acclaim and went on to gross over $300 million worldwide during its initial theatrical run, making it the fourth highest-grossing anime film of all time. The film also earned a 96% critics score and 98% audience score on RottenTomatoes.com making it “Certified Fresh.” “Suzume” has recently been nominated for the World Soundtrack Awards “Discovery of the Year” and the Asia Pacific Screen Awards “Best Animated Feature Film.” The film was also awarded Outstanding Achievement in Music at the 46th Japan Academy Awards.
In “Suzume,” young Suzume and her companion, a talking chair, race to protect the world from impending disaster, guided by a mischievous cat. Inspired by the filmmaker’s observations in the wake of the 2011 earthquake that devastated Japan, this anime action adventure is a combination of hand drawn and CGI animation.
“Suzume” is the latest film from auteur Makoto Shinkai. Shinkai has been a visionary in the animation space for decades, with the most recent films being “Your Name.” (2016) and “Weathering With You” (2019), both of which have catapulted him as a leading animation filmmaker with international viewers. “Weathering With You” was selected as Japan’s entry for the best international feature film category of the 2020 Academy Awards and nominated in four categories in the 47th annual Annie Awards including best animated independent feature.
Official Synopsis
On the other side of the door, was time in its entirety—
“Suzume” is a coming-of-age story for the 17-year-old protagonist, Suzume, set in various disaster-stricken locations across Japan, where she must close the doors causing devastation.
Suzume’s journey begins in a quiet town in Kyushu (located in southwestern Japan) 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 drawn 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, then sunset, and the morning sky.
Within that realm, it was as though all time had melted together in the sky…
Never-before-seen scenery, encounters and farewells… A myriad of challenges await her on her journey. Despite all the obstacles in her way, Suzume’s adventure shines a ray of hope upon our own struggles against the toughest roads of anxiety and constraints that make up everyday life. This story of closing doors that connect our past to the present and future will leave a lasting impression upon all of our hearts.
Drawn in by these mysterious doors, Suzume’s journey is about to begin.
