Sony Pictures is investing $100M in Cosm, the Sphere-like immersive dome where Dodgers fans watched the World Series as if standing on the field. Here's the deal, the tech, and why Japanese baseball fans already know the place.
Studio Ghibli specialty chain Donguri Republic opens its first U.S. store as a pop-up near Los Angeles. Dates, hours, perks, and why the chain isn't actually new to overseas markets.
Japan's all-time anime box office ranking, in one table: Demon Slayer holds the top two spots, followed by Ghibli, Makoto Shinkai, and Conan. The latest Detective Conan film has hit 13 billion yen to become the 16th-biggest anime ever, while The Super Mario Galaxy Movie crosses $1 billion worldwide. Plus an admissions comparison that accounts for rising ticket prices.
Summer 2025's dark horse Takopi's Original Sin is getting a theatrical film, -Thank You, See You Tomorrow-, re-editing all six episodes with new scenes. Here is what the teaser shows, why the story hit so hard, and how overseas fans can watch on Crunchyroll and beyond.
NHK opens its drama vault to Netflix worldwide on June 22, 2026, with 19 titles rolling out through NHK’s 2026 fiscal year, ending March 2027. The first wave includes Taiga epic Strategist KANBE, instant-noodle origin story Mampuku, and Rakugo-themed Descending Stories. Here is why this Japan-only treasure trove is finally going global, and what is conspicuously missing.
ufotable, the studio behind Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Chapter 1 and its ¥117.9 billion worldwide gross, announced on May 11, 2026 the acquisition of a 98-year-old former Mizuho Bank building in Tokushima. The 1928 structure, which survived the WWII firebombing of the city, will become a new entertainment hub and could turn into the next must-visit destination for global Demon Slayer fans making the pilgrimage to Japan.
Mamoru Oshii's new Armored Trooper VOTOMS film Die Graue Hexe will be a two-part theatrical release, with Part 1 opening November 20, 2026. Original creator Ryosuke Takahashi serves as supervisor, with music by longtime Oshii collaborator Kenji Kawai, and a powerhouse Sunrise x Production I.G production team behind it.
On May 11, 2026, Kyoto Animation announced an anime film adaptation of John Tarachine's manga The Credits Roll into the Sea. Slated for 2027 with Violet Evergarden's Taichi Ishidate directing, the film follows 65-year-old Umiko Chino as she enrolls in film school after meeting a young art student. We break down what this means for international fans — including the English manga release schedule and likely streaming paths.
Katsuhiro Otomo, the legendary creator of AKIRA, launched a new feature animation studio called OVAL GEAR on May 11, 2026. A first title is already in production. Global fans are speculating whether this marks the long-awaited return of his shelved 2019 project ORBITAL ERA.
A Crank-in! interview with Shigeru Miyamoto and Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri reveals the inside story of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie: how Miyamoto lobbied Nintendo's internal teams to break the company's long-standing rule against mixing IPs so Fox McCloud could appear, Glen Powell's cold call asking to voice Fox, similar approaches from Brie Larson and Donald Glover, and why the Japanese script was rewritten from scratch rather than localized.
Sony Pictures has set Resident Evil for September 18, 2026, with WEAPONS director Zach Cregger helming a 90-minute original story starring Austin Abrams as a medical courier. Test screening reactions hail it as a 'horror version of Fury Road', a lean, brutal reboot streaming-skipping fans have waited a decade for.