{"rewrite":{"id":"r_817744e19b6644b5b16d9957","clusterId":"c_69e5ca5a85c98e32b7ded91d","slug":"netflix-sets-global-streaming-date-for-third-mononoke-film","model":"deepseek-v4-flash:free","headline":"Netflix to Stream 3rd Mononoke Film Globally on September 29","summary":"Netflix confirmed on Wednesday that it will stream Mononoke The Movie: Chapter III - The Curse of the Serpent, the third installment in the Mononoke franchise's film trilogy, on September 29. The film opened in Japan on May 29. The first film, Mononoke The Movie: Phantom in the Rain, premiered in Japan in July 2024, and the second, Mononoke the Movie Trilogy: Chapter 2: The Ashes of Rage, opened in March 2025. Netflix is already streaming the first two films. The trilogy follows the Medicine Seller, a wandering exorcist who confronts supernatural entities born from human emotions. The final chapter centers on Yukiko, the emperor's lawful wife, as her grief over her newborn son's death draws her into a conspiracy involving a massive serpent Mononoke. The film is directed by Tomoaki Koshida with Kenji Nakamura as chief director, and the screenplay is by Yasumi Atarashi. Studio Kafka and EOTA handled animation production, while Twin Engine produced and distributed the film. Before its Netflix premiere, the film will compete at the 50th Ottawa International Animation Festival, one of seven titles selected for the feature competition.","whyItMatters":"The Netflix release brings the trilogy's conclusion to a global audience, and the film's festival selection at Ottawa adds a layer of critical recognition that could broaden its appeal beyond existing anime fans.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eHiroshi Kamiya voices the Medicine Seller in the trilogy, replacing Takahiro Sakurai, who was dropped from the role in February 2023 after the Weekly Bunshun tabloid reported an extramarital affair. Twin Engine said at the time that the story\u0026#39;s setting in the Ōoku, and its depiction of women\u0026#39;s suffering, drove the recasting.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eSakurai does appear in the third film as the original Medicine Seller from the television series, in an unannounced cameo. Oricon confirmed the appearance, and planning producer Kōji Yamamoto apologized on X on June 5, then announced he was retiring from producing.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eA new franchise project will introduce a third Medicine Seller named \u0026#34;Ken no Tsurugi,\u0026#34; voiced by Hirofumi Araki, who starred as the character in three Mononoke stage plays directed by Jun Yoriko in 2023 and 2024, plus a prequel play that ran May 14-17.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eKitsuneko Nagata is character designer, Yuichi Takahashi is animation character designer and chief animation director, and Yoichi Senzui is visual director. Background art is by Akira Kuramoto and Yoko Saito, with Takashi Kurahashi as art supervisor.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe investigation reaches 150 years into the past, revealing that the Inner Chambers were established by Ama-no-Tsubone, wet nurse of the Third Emperor, and became tied to the \u0026#34;Omizusama\u0026#34; faith. The serpent\u0026#39;s rage connects to the Mizorogi family and centuries of accumulated hatred.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe Medicine Seller cannot draw his Sacred Sword until he learns the entity\u0026#39;s Shape, Truth and Reason, and he only temporarily repels the creature before the final confrontation.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"The final Mononoke film hits Netflix on September 29, but before that it's competing at Ottawa's animation festival as one of seven feature selections.","twitterPost":"Mononoke Chapter III brings the Medicine Seller to the Ōoku's highest-ranking woman, Yukiko. The trilogy's focus has climbed the hierarchy with each film.","threadsPost":"Netflix's global streaming date for Mononoke The Movie: Chapter III is September 29, four months after its Japanese release. That window means the controversy over Takahiro Sakurai's cameo will still be fresh for international audiences when the film arrives.","newsletterBlurb":"Netflix will stream the final Mononoke movie globally on September 29, following its Japanese release in May. The film is also a contender at the Ottawa International Animation Festival.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime News Network\",\"url\":\"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-08-18/netflix-to-stream-3rd-mononoke-film-globally-on-september-29/.240709\",\"title\":\"News: Netflix to Stream 3rd Mononoke Film Globally on September 29\"},{\"source\":\"Cartoon Brew\",\"url\":\"https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/netflix-trailer-mononoke-curse-of-the-serpent-trailer-265767.html\",\"title\":\"Netflix Drops Trailer For 'Mononoke' Movie Trilogy Finale\"},{\"source\":\"OtakuKart Anime\",\"url\":\"https://otakukart.com/mononoke-the-movie-chapter-iii-the-curse-of-the-serpent-sets-september-29-netflix-premiere/\",\"title\":\"Mononoke the Movie: Chapter III - The Curse of the Serpent Sets September 29 Netflix Premiere\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":11708,"outputTokens":1514,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1787115317,"createdAt":"2026-08-19T04:43:48.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-08-19T04:46:44.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-19T14:27:02.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_69e5ca5a85c98e32b7ded91d","canonicalTitle":"News\nNetflix to Stream 3rd Mononoke Film Globally on September 29","representativeArticleId":"a_420177f47423f7ab31347d3f","sourceCount":3,"writtenSourceCount":3,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[\"Mononoke\"],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Mononoke The Movie: Chapter III – The Curse of the Serpent\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"release\",\"domain\":\"anime\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"written","firstSeenAt":"2026-08-19T03:26:27.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-08-19T14:15:24.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-19T14:27:02.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime News Network","url":"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-08-18/netflix-to-stream-3rd-mononoke-film-globally-on-september-29/.240709","title":"News\nNetflix to Stream 3rd Mononoke Film Globally on September 29"},{"source":"Cartoon Brew","url":"https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/netflix-trailer-mononoke-curse-of-the-serpent-trailer-265767.html","title":"Netflix Drops Trailer For ‘Mononoke’ Movie Trilogy Finale"},{"source":"OtakuKart Anime","url":"https://otakukart.com/mononoke-the-movie-chapter-iii-the-curse-of-the-serpent-sets-september-29-netflix-premiere/","title":"Mononoke the Movie: Chapter III – The Curse of the Serpent Sets September 29 Netflix Premiere"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":["Mononoke"],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Mononoke The Movie: Chapter III – The Curse of the Serpent"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"release","domain":"anime","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Netflix will stream Mononoke The Movie: Chapter III - The Curse of the Serpent globally on September 29.","The film opened in Japan on May 29.","The first film, Mononoke The Movie: Phantom in the Rain, premiered in Japan in July 2024.","The second film, Mononoke the Movie Trilogy: Chapter 2: The Ashes of Rage, opened in Japan in March 2025.","The film will compete at the 50th Ottawa International Animation Festival, one of seven titles in the feature competition."]}