{"id":7750,"date":"2026-08-13T04:33:47","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T20:33:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/makoto-shinkai-8th-film-crunchyroll-sony-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-08-13T04:33:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T20:33:47","slug":"makoto-shinkai-8th-film-crunchyroll-sony-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/makoto-shinkai-8th-film-crunchyroll-sony-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Makoto Shinkai’s Untitled 8th Film Lands at Crunchyroll \u2014 Where Does That Leave Singapore?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Makoto Shinkai is coming back \u2014 and Crunchyroll has already claimed its seat at the premiere. Sony Pictures Entertainment and Crunchyroll announced on 11\u201312 August 2026 that they have jointly acquired global distribution rights to the director’s still-untitled eighth feature film. The deal positions Crunchyroll as the primary streaming home for the film across most of the world. The one catch? A large portion of Asia \u2014 the region that arguably loves Shinkai’s work most intensely \u2014 sits outside that agreement.<\/p>\n

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Makoto Shinkai’s Weathering With You<\/em> (2019) grossed over US$193 million worldwide. (\u00a9 CoMix Wave Films)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What We Know About the Deal<\/h2>\n

Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment struck the agreement to distribute Shinkai’s next film across territories described as outside Japan and India, with some reports characterising the exclusion zone as broader \u2014 covering Asia as a whole, with India carved back in as an exception. The exact territorial boundaries have not been spelled out in official press materials, and the ambiguity matters a great deal to fans in this part of the world.<\/p>\n

What is not ambiguous: Singapore is not covered by the Crunchyroll deal. Whether the exclusion zone is “outside Japan and India” or “outside Asia except India,” Singapore falls inside it either way. That means local fans will be watching for a separate theatrical or streaming announcement from a regional distributor \u2014 the same situation that played out for Suzume<\/em> in 2022, when Encore Films handled Singapore distribution.<\/p>\n

Shinkai’s Eighth Feature<\/h2>\n

This is Shinkai’s first film since Suzume<\/em> (2022), which earned over US$300 million at the worldwide box office and picked up a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. Before that came Weathering With You<\/em> (2019) and the global phenomenon Your Name<\/em> (2016), which remains one of the highest-grossing anime films of all time.<\/p>\n

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Suzume<\/em> (2022) earned a Golden Globe nomination and over US$300 million worldwide. (\u00a9 Crunchyroll \/ CoMix Wave Films)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The new film is Shinkai’s eighth feature overall. No title, plot synopsis, or release date has been announced. In an X post from January 2026, Shinkai offered his clearest signal yet that something was close: “It looks like this will be the year I can finally share concrete details about the new movie I have been preparing for a long time. We are all having fun creating it together.”<\/em><\/p>\n

More recently, the director has described the theatrical premiere as “probably not far away,” though without a specific window. Early speculation, drawing on production signals and Shinkai’s comments in Japanese media, suggests the new film may move away from the romance-driven template of his recent trilogy and explore science-fiction territory \u2014 though nothing has been confirmed.<\/p>\n

What This Means for Singapore Fans<\/h2>\n

For viewers here, the immediate takeaway is patience. The Crunchyroll and Sony global rollout will not include Singapore, which means the theatrical window and any streaming availability will depend entirely on a separate licensing deal with a local or regional distributor. If Suzume<\/em> is any guide, that deal will come \u2014 Encore Films brought it to cinemas here \u2014 but fans should not expect to line up a Crunchyroll subscription and call it done.<\/p>\n

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Your Name<\/em> (2016) remains one of the highest-grossing anime films of all time. (\u00a9 CoMix Wave Films)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We will be tracking any regional distribution announcements as they come. In the meantime, you can revisit the last chapter with the official Suzume<\/em> trailer below \u2014 a reminder of just how high the bar is set for whatever Shinkai has been quietly building.<\/p>\n