Crunchyroll has lined up Guillermo del Toro, James Gunn and senior executives from some of Japan’s biggest anime and manga companies for the inaugural Crunchyroll Anime Future Forum, an invitation-only industry summit set for Oct. 7 in New York.
The first slate of speakers includes MAPPA president and CEO Manabu Otsuka; Toho executive officer Taichi Ueda; Shueisha’s Yuta Momiyama, an editor-in-chief overseeing the digital side of Shonen Jump+; and Sony Music Entertainment Japan president Atsuhiro Iwakami, who is also chairman of Aniplex. In the anime world, these are some of the true heavy-hitters.
Sony Pictures Animation president Kristine Belson will also moderate a panel with Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson, the directors of the upcoming Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. Olympic gold medalist figure skater Amber Glenn, rapper and author Big Sean and content creator Jordan Howlett will also participate in the forum from a fan perspective.
The one-day event, themed “Designing for Anime’s Future,” will organize discussions around fandom, technology, storytelling and intellectual property protection. Planned sessions include conversations on transmedia storytelling across anime, gaming and live action; the changing theatrical experience; the future of manga; and the role of influencers in expanding anime fandom.
