Sunday, July 26, 2026

Ranma 1/2 is back on the calendar. Studio MAPPA's ongoing remake of the 1980s martial-arts rom-com confirmed its third season for October 3, releasing a fresh key visual and announcing expanded cast members including Jun Fukuyama as Sentaro Daimonji and Minami Tanaka as Tsubasa Kurenai. Kappei Yamaguchi and Noriko Hidaka return as Ranma and Akane (via Anime Corner).

Solo Leveling is getting a theatrical bridge. Aniplex and Crunchyroll announced Solo Leveling: Beyond the System, an anime film by A-1 Pictures directed by Tao Tajima that picks up after Season 2's ending with an original story fleshing out Jinwoo's psychological burden and the System's mysteries. Season 3 is confirmed for 2027 or 2028 (via Anime Expo 2026).

Live-action Naruto is finally moving. Director Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi, Spider-Man: Brand New Day) launched a worldwide casting call for the film backed by Lionsgate, hunting for actors to play Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Cretton is writing and directing, working alongside creator Masashi Kishimoto (via Variety).

One Piece is living in three worlds at once. Netflix is staging an animated LEGO One Piece special this fall, live-action Season 3 of the Netflix series is scheduled for 2027, and Crunchyroll recently outlined the scope of the theatrical comeback after Infinity Castle's box-office reign (via Anime Hunch).

Summer's anime slate is winding down as fall prep accelerates. Anime Corner's Summer 2026 rankings continue charting which premieres are actually resonating with global audiences versus hype cycles, with week 3 data showing movement in the tiers as three-week commitment fatigue sets in (via Anime Corner).

Multiple franchises are locking in October and fall returns. Black Clover Season 2's main trailer confirmed an October 2026 return after a lengthy silence, while The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 is being built as a split-cour with a second half in 2027, plus an original film in December 2026, a confidence move that signals the mystery series is printing money (via Screen Rant).

Kiki's Delivery Service is flying into UK cinemas at last, and only IMAX could handle it. The Ghibli classic returns to theatrical in the UK and Ireland for the first time ever in IMAX format, August 21, newly restored in 4K from the original film negatives. The restoration expands to standard cinemas August 28, with both Japanese and English dub tracks available (via Anime UK News).

The home video rush heads into late July. Crunchyroll is releasing Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3 on Blu-ray July 28 in both limited edition (art book, eight cards, three keychains) and standard formats, alongside an Apothecary Diaries SteelBook exclusive to the Crunchyroll Store (via CBR).

Anime's theatrical moment is not slowing down. The 2026 film slate shows anime dominating the cinema calendar with over 40 major releases planned globally, following a decade where theatrical anime became a tentpole strategy instead of a niche release window. Chainsaw Man: The Movie - Reze Arc crossing $170 million and breaking the all-time top 15 highest-grossing anime films proved the model works at scale (via Screen Daily).

Gkids is betting on the Ghibli catalog's staying power. The distributor acquired the Studio Ghibli library for UK and Ireland distribution, signaling that 35-year-old films can command theatrical releases when restored to IMAX. Multiple Ghibli classics are now slated for 4K re-releases across markets, a reverse-release strategy that treats archive as fresh content (via Variety).