{"rewrite":{"id":"r_985df9316b9fb775f32d6bef","clusterId":"c_bff977803dd1826ef5ffe55f","slug":"kohei-kadowaki-s-we-are-aliens-anime-film-opens-september-25","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Kōhei Kadowaki's We Are Aliens Anime Film Opens September 25","summary":"TOHO NEXT and NOTHING NEW announced that Kōhei Kadowaki's anime film We Are Aliens will open in Japan on September 25. The film, which follows two estranged childhood friends, stars Ryōta Bandō and Amane Okayama as the adult leads. It previously screened at Cannes and Annecy.","whyItMatters":"The September 25 date gives the indie-origin film a wide theatrical release after festival runs at Cannes and Annecy, backed by TOHO NEXT and international sales from CHARADES.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eTOHO NEXT and NOTHING NEW set a September 25 Japanese release date for Kōhei Kadowaki\u0026#39;s \u003ci\u003eWe Are Aliens\u003c/i\u003e, updating the teaser trailer with the new date. The film follows Tsubasa and Gyōtarō, two elementary school friends driven apart by jealousy and misunderstanding, who reunite as adults to face their shared past. Ryōta Bandō and Amane Okayama voice the adult characters; child actors Yūto Maki and Tasuku Nakagome play the younger versions. Kadowaki, known for directing the second \u003ci\u003eBEASTARS\u003c/i\u003e ending sequence and YOASOBI music videos, handled planning, script, direction, storyboards, and editing. French studio Miyu Productions collaborated on production. The film had already screened at Cannes\u0026#39; Directors\u0026#39; Fortnight and at Annecy.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"We Are Aliens screened at Cannes and Annecy before securing a theatrical release. That festival-to-theater path is rare for an original anime film without a studio franchise behind it.","twitterPost":"We Are Aliens had its Cannes and Annecy screenings before landing a theatrical run. Rare path for an original anime film.","threadsPost":"We Are Aliens premiered at Cannes and Annecy before getting a theatrical release. For an original anime film without a studio franchise, that festival-to-theater trajectory is unusual. TOHO NEXT and Nothing New are betting festival buzz can open a theatrical window.","newsletterBlurb":"Kōhei Kadowaki's We Are Aliens anime film will open in Japan on September 25, with TOHO NEXT distributing. The indie production, which screened at Cannes' Directors' Fortnight and Annecy, follows two childhood friends who reunite as adults. French studio Miyu Productions collaborated on the film.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime News Network\",\"url\":\"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2026-06-26/kohei-kadowaki-we-are-aliens-anime-film-to-open-on-september-25/.239007\",\"title\":\"Kōhei Kadowaki's We Are Aliens Anime Film to Open on September 25\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4107,"outputTokens":626,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1782533792,"createdAt":"2026-06-27T04:07:17.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-06-27T04:10:24.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-27T04:10:24.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_bff977803dd1826ef5ffe55f","canonicalTitle":"News\nKōhei Kadowaki's We Are Aliens Anime Film to Open on September 25","representativeArticleId":"a_9dadbae0be64195471e1bd23","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[\"We Are Aliens\"],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[\"Nothing New\"],\"people\":[\"Kōhei Kadowaki\"],\"type\":\"announcement\",\"domain\":\"anime\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-06-27T01:11:06.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-06-27T01:11:06.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-27T04:10:24.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime News Network","url":"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2026-06-26/kohei-kadowaki-we-are-aliens-anime-film-to-open-on-september-25/.239007","title":"News\nKōhei Kadowaki's We Are Aliens Anime Film to Open on September 25"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":["We Are Aliens"],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":["Nothing New"],"people":["Kōhei Kadowaki"],"type":"announcement","domain":"anime","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["We Are Aliens opens in Japan on September 25.","The film follows two estranged childhood friends, Tsubasa and Gyōtarō, who reunite as adults.","Ryōta Bandō and Amane Okayama voice the adult leads; Yūto Maki and Tasuku Nakagome voice the child versions.","Kōhei Kadowaki directed, wrote, storyboarded, and edited the film, with French studio Miyu Productions collaborating.","The film previously screened at Cannes' Directors' Fortnight and the Annecy International Animation Film Festival."]}