Apr 11, 2022

Movie: Makoto Shinkai's "What is your name?

Comics Wave Films, Story Corporation, and Toho Co. have released the first teaser trailer and new stills for Makoto Shinkai's feature film "Suzume no Tsujimari (tentative title)" and announced that the film will be released in Japanese cinemas on November 11.

Shinkai is best known for his 2016 instant classic "Your Name," which grossed over $380 million worldwide, making it the third highest-grossing anime film of all time.In 2019, his next film, "Weather With You," was a critical and audience hit, earning nearly $200 million at the box office. Suzume no Tomari is arguably one of the most anticipated animated feature films to be released in 2022.

In Shinkai's latest film, a 17-year-old sparrow is told by a young man that he is looking for a door. Drawn in by the stranger's quest, she stumbles upon a weathered door in the rubble of an old hotel. Upon opening the door, a mysterious destructive force is unleashed and similar doors begin to open all over Japan, posing danger to anyone nearby. Sparrow quickly sets out on a journey to close all such doors and prevent further mishaps. Director Shinkai describes the film as "a story about closure."

The teaser begins with Suzume riding her bicycle down a street overlooking a picturesque seaside village. There is a brief glimpse of the interaction that led her to embark on her journey, and then several shots of her home life are shown as she arrives at her front door. From there, magic and reality collide, culminating in a final shot of Suzume and a stranger closing the door out of place.

In a statement, Shinkai said, "We have to figure out how to close the many doors we leave open. I entrusted this responsibility to Suzume, who travels all over Japan and closes various doors. I sincerely hope that this film will leave movie theaters with big smiles and excitement on the faces of our audiences."