Guillermo del Toro, James Gunn Join Crunchyroll’s Inaugural Anime Future Forum

Guillermo del Toro and James Gunn. Courtesy of Crunchyroll

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.

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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.

Sony Group president and CEO Hiroki Totoki will deliver opening remarks, Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman and CEO Ravi Ahuja will speak during the day and Crunchyroll president Rahul Purini will close the forum with remarks and news.

Sony first announced plans for the forum in May, describing anime as an important growth sector for the company and the event as a way to deepen ties with Japanese publishers and creators while bringing them together with partners from other industries. At the same corporate strategy briefing, Sony said Crunchyroll had surpassed 21 million paid subscribers worldwide as of the end of March.

Crunchyroll says more than 400 industry figures will attend the forum, which will be held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on Wednesday, Oct. 7, before New York Comic Con begins at the same venue. NYCC runs Oct. 8-11.