One Piece Film: Red, which has already made over $93 million at the box office since its August premiere in Japan, is about to set the ship for worldwide cinemas. The 15th film in the long-running One Piece franchise has been confirmed for global theatrical distribution by Toei Animation Inc. and Crunchyroll. After debuting in Austria and Germany on October 13, the film will open in cinemas Down Under on November 3 and in the Americas on November 4. One Piece Red, co-produced by Eiichiro Oda, the series creator, and Toei Animation, is the highest-grossing theatrical release of the series, which has become an ongoing global sensation.
It’s based on the best-selling manga series ever published. One Piece Film Red, helmed by Goro Taniguchi (One Piece: Defeat the Pirate Ganzack) and written by Tsutomu Kuroiwa, has Oda in an executive producer capacity as well (One Piece Film: Gold). According to the plot summary, the first scene of the highly anticipated One Piece Film: Red takes place during a live concert when the mysterious and adored singer Uta, who has always performed under a stage name, finally reveals herself to the public.
When it is discovered that the singer is in fact Shanks’ daughter, the pirates, the navy, and the Straw Hats all congregate to listen to her beautiful voice. After an absence of three years from the manga, the famous character Shanks, captain of the Red Hair Pirates and one of the Four Emperors of the Sea, makes his long-awaited comeback in One Piece Film: Red. Chapter 907, “The Empty Throne,” was the final appearance of Shanks in the manga, while the final appearance of the character in the anime was in Episode 887, “An Explosive Situation – Two Emperors Going After Luffy,” which first aired in June of 2019.
Focusing on his bond with his musically talented daughter, the new film digs further into the life of the significant figure who most notably handed Monkey D. Luffy the fortunate Straw Hat that became the moniker for his crew. Both a dubbed and subtitled version of One Piece Film: Red will play in cinemas. Crunchyroll and Toei Animation will debut One Piece Film: Red in Australia and the United States, respectively, with subtitles and dubbed versions, before the film’s theatrical release. The North American debut will take place on Thursday, October 6 to coincide with New York Comic Con, while a select number of fans in Australia will be able to see the subtitled premiere on Friday, September 16 as part of Crunchyroll Expo Australia.
Oda’s 1997 manga was the first in the series, which follows Luffy and his crew as they travel the world in search of the “One Piece,” the fabled treasure of the late King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger. The anime version began airing not long after in 1999, and last year marked the remarkable achievement of reaching the 1000-episode mark. The United States and Canada will release One Piece Movie Red on November 4, while Australia and New Zealand will do so on November 3.