Exclusive: Legendary Anime That Toppled Ghibli Returns to The Big Screen!

Ten years ago, Makoto Shinkai's cinematic masterpiece, Your Name, premiered at Anime Expo in Los Angeles, immediately solidifying its status as an instant classic. This film, the first in the legendary anime director's acclaimed "disaster trilogy," garnered widespread praise for its unique and emotionally profound exploration of a body-swap narrative, leaving a significant mark on the animation medium. Beyond numerous accolades and awards, including those from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the Japan Academy, Your Name achieved the remarkable feat of surpassing Studio Ghibli's all-time classic, Spirited Away, to become the highest-grossing original Japanese animated film ever, with a worldwide box office haul of $400 million.

Anime fans will once again have the opportunity to experience Mitsuha and Taki's poignant story on the big screen. Collider exclusively revealed at Anime Expo that a new 4K remaster of Your Name will return to theaters on August 14, courtesy of GKIDS. This theatrical re-release will offer both the original Japanese version with English subtitles and the English dub, featuring Michael Sinterniklaas (The Venture Bros.) as the city-dweller Taki and Stephanie Sheh (Naruto alum) as the rural schoolgirl Mitsuha.

Written and directed by Shinkai, with animation handled by CoMix Wave Films, the film intricately weaves the tale of two high school students whose entirely separate lives are unexpectedly intertwined when they begin swapping bodies each morning. This unforeseen predicament compels them to navigate the complexities of each other's existences, attempting to communicate and establish boundaries, thereby forging a surprising connection. However, their attempts to meet reveal a harrowing twist of fate, exposing a chasm far wider than they could have imagined, with their longing stretching across the very bounds of time and destiny.

For North American audiences, GKIDS and Shout! Studios are also providing the first chance to own Your Name in stunning 4K. A new 4K Ultra HD steelbook and Blu-ray issue, featuring the remaster, will be available for home release on August 25. This allows viewers to relive the emotional, earth-rending journey of their love, powerfully underscored by Radwimps' iconic musical score.

While Shinkai had already made a name for himself with earlier works like the coming-of-age romance triptych 5 Centimeters Per Second, the 2016 feature, Your Name, cemented his reputation as one of the greatest modern directors of animation. This 4K remaster offers a fresh opportunity to revisit his acclaimed work. The physical release comes packed with special features delving into the film's creation and Shinkai's previous filmography, including a behind-the-scenes featurette and a special TV interview.

Looking ahead, Makoto Shinkai has been absent from the director's chair since concluding his disaster trilogy in 2022 with Suzume. However, this hiatus may soon end, as he teased at the end of 2025 that more "concrete details" about his next project are expected this year, indicating he and his team are diligently working towards a return to the big screen. Meanwhile, his previous works continue to evolve; last year saw a live-action adaptation of 5 Centimeters Per Second, which Shinkai himself praised, describing his original story as a "seed" that has "beautifully come to fruition" in the new version. A Hollywood live-action adaptation of Your Name was in development at Paramount, with Raya and the Last Dragon co-director Carlos López Estrada most recently attached to helm and write, though updates have been sparse since 2023.

Your Name (2016) has a runtime of 106 minutes, was directed and written by Makoto Shinkai, and stars Ryunosuke Kamiki as the voice of Taki Tachibana and Mone Kamishiraishi as the voice of Mitsuha Miyamizu.