(Updated 07/03/2024)
Want to know what anime movies are coming to theaters in 2024? We can tell you!
Anime movies have been extremely popular for years, and Western fandom for anime continues to grow. Anime influences countless creators in the US. Huge fan interest means that more and more anime movies are playing in US movie theaters — and a lot more quickly, following their Japanese premieres, than they used to. Thanks to distributors like GKids, the Studio Ghibli movies and other classics regularly come back to the big screen, too.
2023 ended with the incredible new movie from Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki, THE BOY AND THE HERON. Studio Ghibli is all over the 2024 calendar thanks to the return of Studio Ghibli Fest.
Here are the anime movies coming to US theaters soon.
Anime Movies Coming to Movie Theatres in 2024
The following movies are set for U.S. release (or, in some cases, re-release) in the beginning of 2024.
Blue Lock the Movie -Episode Nagi-
“That’s a hassle.” That was second-year high schooler Nagi Seishiro’s favorite phrase as he lived his dull life. Until Mikage Reo, a classmate who dreamed of winning the World Cup, discovered Nagi’s hidden skill, inspiring him to play soccer and share his outstanding talent. One day, he receives an invitation to the mysterious BLUE LOCK Project. What awaits him there is an encounter with the finest strikers assembled from across the country. Nagi’s dream of becoming the best, alongside Reo, will take this prodigy to a world he’s never known. A prodigy can only be shaped when someone discovers him….now, striker Nagi Seishiro’s incredible talent and persona will set the soccer world ablaze. [Now Playing]
Princess Mononoke - Studio Ghibli Fest (2024)
Hayao Miyazaki, comes an epic masterpiece that has dazzled audiences worldwide with its breathtaking imagination, exhilarating battles, and deep humanity. Inflicted with a deadly curse, the young warrior Ashitaka heads west in search of a cure. There, he stumbles into a bitter conflict between Lady Eboshi, the proud people of Iron Town, and the enigmatic Princess Mononoke, a young girl raised by wolves, who will stop at nothing to prevent the humans from destroying her home and the forest spirits and animal gods who live there. Featuring the voice talents of Gillian Anderson, Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Billy Bob Thornton. [Dubbed on July 14 and 16; Subtitled on July 13, 15, and 17]
Ponyo - Studio Ghibli Fest (2024)
Perfect for audiences of all ages, Ponyo centers on the friendship between five-year-old Sosuke and a magical goldfish named Ponyo, the young daughter of a sorcerer father and a sea-goddess mother. After a chance encounter, Ponyo yearns to become a human so she can be with Sosuke. As to be expected with Miyazaki, the film is awash in pure unbridled imagination and visual wonder — but it is the tender love, humor, and devotion exhibited by Ponyo and Sosuke that form the emotional heart of the film. [August 3 - 7]
Whisper of the Heart - Studio Ghibli Fest (2024)
A chance encounter with a mysterious cat sends Shizuku, a quiet schoolgirl, on a quest for her true talent. Together with Seiji, a boy determined to follow his dreams, and enchanted by The Baron, a magical cat figurine who helps her listen to the whispers of her heart, Shizuku embarks on a life-changing adventure that takes her beyond the boundaries of her imagination. [August 25 and 27]
The Cat Returns - Studio Ghibli Fest (2024)
Haru is walking home after a dreary day of school when she spies a cat with a small gift box in its mouth crossing a busy street, and she jumps in front of traffic to save the cat from an oncoming truck. To her amazement, the cat gets up on its hind legs, brushes itself off , and thanks her very politely. But things take an even stranger turn when later that night, the King of Cats shows up at her doorstep in a feline motorcade. He showers Haru with gifts, and decrees that she shall marry the Prince and come live in the Kingdom of Cats! [August 26 and 28]
We'll have more anime coming to the big screen in 2024!
All images courtesy of GKids.