Sony Pictures Classics has taken over North American distribution from Sony Pictures of Mamoru Hosoda’s anime adventure Scarlet, days ahead its w
Sony Pictures Classics has taken over North American distribution from Sony Pictures of Mamoru Hosoda’s anime adventure Scarlet, days ahead its world premiere out of competition at Venice Film Festival (August 27-September 6).
Scarlet will also screen at TIFF next month and play New York Film Festival, before an awards-qualifying run and early 2026 release. Sony Pictures Releasing International will distribute throughout the rest of the world for Columbia Pictures, and Toho will distribute theatrically in Japan.
While Sony Pictures Classics did not elaborate, Monday’s development means the Sony fold now has two tough animation awards contenders for the upcoming season.
Sony Pictures Animation produced KPop Demon Hunters for Netflix and the sing-along version just claimed the North American box office crown and drops on the service today (August 25). The regular version of the film is already on course to become the streamer’s most-viewed English-language film.
Scarlet centres on a medieval-era, sword-fighting princess on a quest to avenge the death of her father. After failing in her mission, Scarlet lands in the Otherworld limbo state, where she encounters an idealistic man from present day who helps her heal and shows her the possibility of a future free of bitterness and rage.
“As we witness heartbreaking conflicts around the world, I believe that finding love and choosing to live together in unity is what will lead us towards something better,” said Hosoda, the former animator at Toei Animation whose directing credits include the Oscar-nominated Mirai and Japanese box office smash Belle.
Sony Pictures co-produced and co-financed Scarlet alongside Studio Chizu and Nippon TV. Yuichiro Saito produced for Studio Chizu, the animation studio he co-founded with Hosada, alongside Toshimi Tanio for Nippon TV, and Nozomu Takahashi for Studio Chizu.
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