Crunchyroll teases 2025 Slate at Annecy, talks anime growth

Crunchyroll, a global anime brand and streaming service that recently awarded 17 million subscribers, increasingly consolidates as a large entertainment player.

Because the platform now has the largest dedicated anime libraries, Crunchyroll teams devote their energy to achieving a new audience through a compelling world of events, exciting theatrical releases, unique games, must-have merchandise, timely news and more.

In anticipation of the simultaneous gigantic anime events that are Anime Expo in La and Japan Expo in Paris, the presence of Crunchyroll at Annecy is impossible to miss. From the most important locations of Bonlieu with “Demon Slayer” clothing to Crunchyroll -Oanimes presented at the festival, the company presents to professionals, students and animation enthusiasts, both their worldwide hits and their new strategy.

“Anime is no longer niche,” said Crunchyroll EVP of Global Commerce and head of the Theatrale Michel Berger, introducing an Annecy Crunchyroll Studio Focus 2025 – a presentation that emphasized Anime’s meteoric growth and how Crunchyroll faked that growth.

“Every time I can come to Annecy, I really feel at home,” he emphasized. “It is an event and festival that not only embraces and celebrates the art of animation, but it is also part of everyone’s DNA.”

For Berger, Anime-Die was to free himself from the same ‘genre’ etiquette animation in some circles-a unique narrative medium that speaks to fans worldwide, driven by dynamic characters, stunning visuals and amazing new worlds that form a real emotional bond with an ever-growing audience.

According to the EVP of Crunchyroll, Anime Fandom will reach at least 1.5 billion by 2030, even without taking Japan and China. And Berger does not only look in his crystal ball; He brought data to support it.

Research into nearly 29,000 respondents aged 13-54 in seven worldwide markets, underlined the latest Crunchyroll study-by the National Research Group (NRG)-the growing role of anime and both a cultural foundation as an emotional outlet for younger audience.

According to the study, Anime is now a shoulder to shoulder with the greatest icons in music and sport under Gen Z. 54%of Gen Z, their love for anime makes it known, making it for Kendrick Lamar (48%), almost on the same footing with Beyoncé (56%), and just behind LeBron James (60%).

The connection is even stronger among teenagers, with almost 60% of the 13-17 year olds identifying themselves as anime fans. 44% of the general entertainment consumers from 13 to 54 identify themselves as anime fans, Die-per Berger-other global genres such as K-dramas and Bollywood, surpassed, with regional nuances that indicate an emerging growth in markets such as the United Kingdom.

In addition, social media platforms such as Tiktok, Instagram and YouTube have discovered anime and involvement. According to the study, 82% of fans discuss social anime, with clips and roles that now serve as the primary discovery gateway of Gen Z.

“Anime is not only something that looks at our audience,” Berger added. “It’s something they feel.”
With a four quadrant global fandom, anime is confronted with a growing demand for stories that reflect a wide range of populations – including strong female leads, LGBTQ+ characters and stories that appeal to the worldwide audience.

The same worldwide fans who cast their votes for the Crunchyroll Anime Awards a few weeks ago, praised by New York Magazine as ‘The Oscars of Anime’, this year more than 51 million votes were cast, which ended in a Tokyo -based ceremony that fans could also view online. “Solo-Diveling”, a project with a Crunchyroll-Aniplex-supported project produced by A-1 Pictures, took away Anime of the Year.

Crunchyroll now wants to expand its experience to offer their subscribers and fans more than just something to look at. From independent games to music, collective objects, compelling events and theatrical releases.

Theatral is a dear subject for Berger. Crunchyroll came from Covid, placed “Demon Slayer: Mugen Train” in theaters and earned more than $ 500 million from the Global Box Office, a theatrical run that today held the record as the most profitable Japanese anime film of all time. And – to Berger – the momentum continues to grow because younger audience loves anime as much as they want to experience it together.

Earlier this week, Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures International announced that they had acquired selected international theatrical rights for the compilation film “Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory (Premature Death – The Movie”))

This beloved TV series-geuloed by award-winning “Attack on Titan” Studio Mappa changes in a cinematic experience that will surprise fans around the world this summer, driven by Crunchyroll in selected European markets, Latin America and Australia.

In the US, GKids releases the film on July 16.

Berger closed his presentation by sharing images of the upcoming “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle”. The film is planned for aniplex and Toho on July 18, 2025 in Japan. Crunchyroll will distribute the film in international markets through Sony Pictures that will be placed from the American theaters on 12 September.

Must hollywood -execs “forget Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman” and trust anime to save the cash register, such as Washington Post reporter Sonny Bunch suggested Three years ago? Crunchyroll teams certainly think so.

Two of Crunchyroll’s Anime are represented this year in the TV films category in Annecy. “Metallic Rouge”, a sci-fi-action-packed series made by “My Hero Academia” production company Bones, competes in addition to beloved adjustment “Anne Shirley”, based on the November series “Anne or Green Gables” of the Lucy Mautgomery.

The full NRG Crunchyroll study is available here.

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