Makoto Shinkai, one of the most successful directors in anime history, unveiled his next feature during a live-streamed press conference yesterday (watch it with English subtitles below).
Suzume no Tojimari, which literally translates as Suzume’s Door-Locking, will be released in Japanese theaters in fall 2022. The plot has elements in common with other works by the director, such as portals between worlds and the spectre of cataclysm in contemporary Japan.
The film follows 17-year-old Suzume, who lives in a quiet town on the island of Kyushu. One day, she meets a young man who says he is looking for a door. Following him, she finds one standing isolated in a ruined landscape. Suddenly, doors are appearing all over Japan and spilling disasters out into the world. Suzume sets out to shut them again.