North America’s largest anime convention delivered its most announcement-dense two days in recent memory this weekend in Los Angeles, with the Crunchyroll Showcase on July 3 functioning as a live showcase of Sony’s vertically integrated anime empire: a Solo Leveling theatrical film now in production, a confirmed Steel Ball Run premiere date, Akira returning to 4K IMAX screens September 4, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 screened to an audience of approximately 6,000 fans. Day 3 of Anime Expo 2026 — falling on Independence Day — stacked panels from Studio TRIGGER, Production I.G and WIT STUDIO, and a BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War advance episode screening on top of what was already the most crowded announcement slate the convention has seen.
For anyone building a fall 2026 watchlist, the decisions are now concrete: Steel Ball Run on September 25, Akira 4K IMAX on September 4, Ghost in the Shell on Prime Video on July 7, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 arriving on Netflix sometime in fall 2026. For winter and beyond, Solo Leveling’s theatrical film has no release date yet — but its existence is now confirmed, and the franchise that closed out its second season as one of Crunchyroll’s highest-performing global properties is heading to theaters.
What Was Announced at the Crunchyroll Showcase?
The Crunchyroll Showcase at the Peacock Theater on July 3, hosted by Tim Lyu and Lauren Moore, served as the weekend’s dominant announcement event. The confirmed reveals, in order of fan response, were:
Solo Leveling: Beyond the System
Solo Leveling is getting a theatrical feature, and it will be a direct continuation of the series — not a recap or a retelling. The film, titled Solo Leveling: Beyond the System, picks up following the events of Season 2 and is animated by A-1 Pictures, the studio behind Sword Art Online. Production involves Aniplex, Netmarble, D&C MEDIA, Kakao Piccoma, and Crunchyroll. English voice actor Aleks Le, who plays protagonist Sung Jinwoo, appeared onstage to make the announcement. A teaser key visual and concept promotional video accompanied the reveal. No release date has been announced. Solo Leveling film officially confirmed
Akira Returns to US and Canadian Theaters September 4
Katsuhiro Otomo’s 1988 cyberpunk feature, widely credited with establishing anime as a serious cinematic medium for Western audiences, returns to theaters in the United States and Canada on September 4, 2026, now in 4K and IMAX format. The theatrical run represents the most significant domestic presentation of the film in years. Akira theatrical return announced
Ghost of Tsushima Legends — First Character Designs Revealed
The Crunchyroll showcase offered the first look at character designs for the Ghost of Tsushima Legends anime, targeting a 2027 release. Director Takanobu Mizuno is leading the adaptation, with KAMIKAZE DOUGA handling animation and Nitroplus veterans Satoshi Maejima and Gen Urobuchi writing the script — Urobuchi also handling story composition. Character designs come from Takashi Okazaki, best known for Afro Samurai. The series was announced in January 2025 in partnership with Aniplex, Sony Music, and PlayStation Productions and follows one of the last remaining samurai defending Tsushima against the Mongol Empire. Ghost of Tsushima anime character reveal
Dave Grohl Reveals Nirvana Opening Theme for Manga Adaptation
Among the showcase’s more surprising moments, Crunchyroll aired an announcement from Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl confirming that Nirvana’s “Breed” will serve as the opening theme for the anime adaptation of The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy At All, set for a January 2027 launch. CloverWorks is handling animation. Mariya Ise and Akari Kito star in the series, which follows a high school student whose crush on a mysterious music store employee turns out to be her own female classmate. Nirvana theme anime announcement
Kagurabachi World Premiere Screening
Kagurabachi, the shonen adaptation from Shueisha and CyberAgent, held the first 20 minutes of Episode 1 as a world premiere at Anime Expo — the opening stop on its global World Tour ahead of an April 2027 Crunchyroll broadcast. Voice actor Taihi Kimura, who plays protagonist Chihiro Rokuhira, participated in an exclusive Q&A, and attendees received a first look at Chihiro’s provisional character design sheet. Kagurabachi world premiere details
New Series and Returning Favorites: Premiere Dates Confirmed
The Crunchyroll Showcase moved through a dense slate of upcoming titles:
Arriving fall 2026: Aoashi Season 2 returns in October on Crunchyroll, following Ashito’s continued pursuit of becoming one of Japan’s top soccer players. The Vermilion Mask — a two-part series following Peru, a pupil of a legendary mask maker who vows to destroy all his master’s cursed creations — premieres in October 2026. Overgeared released its first full trailer, with Grid’s underdog VR-game saga also arriving later in 2026
Arriving early 2027: Fate Rewinder, a sci-fi mystery thriller from Studio Bones Film directed by Rie Matsumoto (Blood Blockade Battlefront), is set for April 2027. Gacha Girls Corps, following a mobile gamer pulled into another world, and Magical Buffs: The Support Caster is Stronger Than He Realized! from J.C. Staff arrive in January 2027. The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 5, directed by Hitoshi Haga at Kinema Citrus, is confirmed for 2027, following Naofumi as new waves of threats implicate the other Cardinal Heroes.
Manga adaptations getting animated: Here U Are, the manhwa adaptation about a university upperclassman and a quiet antisocial new student, confirmed Rouseact as its animation studio and Tomoe Makino as director. Dengeki Daisy, directed by Sota Ueno at Studio DEEN, revealed its lead cast: Yoshino Aoyama as Teru Kurebayashi and Taku Yashiro as Tasuku Kurosaki
Returning franchises: Witch Hat Atelier Season 2 released an ultra teaser following its first season’s Japan finale. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 3 received a dedicated special event on Day 3 evening, where director Tomoya Kitagawa, supporting director Keiichiro Saito, and animation producer Yuichiro Fukushi discussed Season 2 and the upcoming continuation — with character designer Keisuke Kojima conducting a live drawing session
On the platform side, Crunchyroll Manga — launched in October 2025 and now carrying more than 400 titles — announced additions from Kodansha US Publishing, including Attack on Titan, Fire Force, and Fairy Tail. Crunchyroll Manga Kodansha titles added
Steel Ball Run Locked: September 25, 11 Episodes, Weekly
At the Crypto.com Arena on July 3 — before the Crunchyroll Showcase — the Steel Ball Run panel delivered the weekend’s most-anticipated premiere date. STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure begins September 25, streaming weekly every Friday, with an 11-episode run for its second and third stages. Three additional cast members were announced: Tomoaki Maeno as Mountain Tim, Tomokazu Sugita as Funny Valentine, and Yoko Hikasa as Hot Pants. A new trailer screened at the panel. For JoJo fans who have followed the production through months of near-total silence, September 25 is the concrete date they needed. Steel Ball Run September 25 premiere confirmed
Apothecary Diaries Gets a Movie and a Third Season
TOHO Animation used Anime Expo to debut the first trailer and full details for the upcoming Apothecary Diaries theatrical film. Titled The Apothecary Diaries: The Deceased Empress’ Treasure, the film opens in Japanese theaters on December 11, 2026. Returning leads Aoi Yūki as Maomao and Takeo Ōtsuka as Jinshi star in the film, with Mariya Ise joining as Mu Qing, a new boy who holds the key to the story. Maomao and Jinshi travel to the hometown of a consort who died five years ago in the imperial harem, where they encounter pirates, hidden treasure, and a secret connected to the Empress’ remains. Series author Natsu Hyūganatsu confirmed the film is based on an original story whose timeline sits between the second and third seasons, corresponding to Volume 4.5 of the novels.
Apothecary Diaries Season 3 is also confirmed: Cour 1 arrives in October 2026, with Cour 2 following in April 2027. No international release date for the film has been announced. Apothecary Diaries film December 11 release
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 Screened to 6,000 Fans on Day 3 Morning
The Edgerunners 2 world premiere on the evening of July 3 drew approximately 6,000 attendees to the Crypto.com Arena. The new series follows four entirely new characters across Night City: Weak Kingsley (voiced by Clancy Brown), a veteran edgerunner living in the shadow of his former glory; D (Nazeeh Tarsha), a Netrunner for the Snake Nation nomads; Roman Carax (Valeria Rodriguez), a young cinephile documenting the city’s dysfunction; and Talia Yang (Kimoy Lee), a chromed-out woman connected to the Maelstrom gang. The series is confirmed for fall 2026 on Netflix. Director Kai Ikarashi and writer Masahiko Otsuka return for the standalone 10-episode season. Edgerunners 2 full crew confirmed
The Studio TRIGGER panel on Day 3 afternoon offered further behind-the-scenes details on Edgerunners 2 alongside the first look at TRIGGER’s next flagship project — a title that had not been previously announced
Read more:Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 Locks Fall 2026 on Netflix: Trailer, Full Crew, Anime Expo Panel
Day 3 Panels: BLEACH, Persona, Frieren, and Ghost in the Shell
BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War “The Calamity” opened Day 3 at 10:00 AM at the Crypto.com Arena, with Masakazu Morita (Japanese voice of Ichigo) and Johnny Yong Bosch (English voice of Ichigo) hosting a panel that included an advance subbed screening of Episode 1 of the final arc. For a franchise whose finale arc has been building for years, the first episode of its concluding chapter screening publicly at AX before broadcast makes this the panel of the convention for a specific fanbase
Warner Bros. Japan celebrated its 15th anniversary in anime production with a panel covering Steel Ball Run, Record of Ragnarok III, FIST OF THE NORTH STAR: HOKUTO NO KEN, Devils’ Crest, and BLADE & BASTARD, featuring guests Laura Post and Damien Haas
Atlus brought developers Kazuhisa Wada, Shigenori Soejima, Yohsuke Uda, and Yoshiyuki Asai to share new content on Persona 4 Revival — significant gaming crossover programming for a convention floor where JRPG fans and anime fans heavily overlap
Director Norihiro Naganuma — the creative force behind The Apothecary Diaries — unveiled a brand-new, original action anime series for the first time, with promotional videos, character visuals, and a Q&A at the Avex Pictures panel in Room 404AB
The Production I.G and WIT STUDIO joint panel, hosted by Maki Terashima-Furuta, reunited founders Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and George Wada with directors Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex), Tetsuro Araki (Death Note, Attack on Titan), and Shunsuke Tada for an interactive panel covering the studios’ upcoming work and their history, including a Cult Quiz with autographed prizes
The Ghost in the Shell and Science Saru panel at 2:45 PM offered a closer look at Science Saru’s new Ghost in the Shell series ahead of its Prime Video debut on July 7. The adaptation from the studio behind Devilman Crybaby marks the first Ghost in the Shell anime not animated by Production I.G in the franchise’s 37-year history. Ghost in the Shell on Prime Video
How Crunchyroll’s AX Showcase Signals Sony’s Anime Ambitions
What the Crunchyroll Showcase represents structurally is worth understanding beyond its individual announcements. In March 2025, Crunchyroll and Aniplex — both Sony entities — formed Hayate, a joint production venture based in Tokyo, explicitly designed to produce anime “optimized for worldwide release.” The Solo Leveling: Beyond the System film announced at AX 2026 is co-produced by Aniplex and Crunchyroll — a Hayate-model production where the platform owns a share of the content it distributes, rather than simply licensing it. Crunchyroll and Aniplex launch Hayate venture
That matters because it changes what AX means for Crunchyroll economically. In the older licensing model, Crunchyroll paid a fee to stream a title produced by a Japanese production committee; any hit was a windfall for the committee, not the platform. In the Hayate model, Crunchyroll co-finances and co-owns the international rights. When Solo Leveling goes to theaters globally, Crunchyroll participates in the upside
The global anime streaming market reached $7.5 billion in 2024 and is projected to nearly double to $14.65 billion by 2030, according to ResearchAndMarkets data. North America accounts for more than 38% of that figure — the largest single regional market. Crunchyroll’s 15 million-plus paid subscribers (as of mid-2024, per Sony’s 2025 CES disclosure) represent the dominant commercial channel for that audience. The platform eliminated its ad-supported free tier on December 31, 2025, converting to an entirely paid subscription model at $9.99 to $17.99 per month. Every title on display at AX 2026’s Crunchyroll Showcase is now competing for the attention of a subscriber base that pays for access — raising the stakes for every announcement made on that stage.
E3’s permanent cancellation after 2023 created a gap in the North American entertainment-announcement calendar that Summer Game Fest — held in June — partially fills for gaming. Anime Expo, held every July 4th weekend, occupies a position no other convention has been able to claim: the North American industry’s primary annual vehicle for theatrical announcements, premiere dates, and franchise expansions, for an audience pre-selected by IP loyalty. Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 — produced by the same Sony/Aniplex/Crunchyroll pipeline — grossed more than $793 million worldwide, with Crunchyroll handling international theatrical rollout. The announcements at AX 2026 are the next layer of that pipeline.
Day Four: Jujutsu Kaisen Anniversary Closes the Convention
Anime Expo 2026 closes Sunday, July 5, with a truncated schedule running until 3:00 PM, followed by the Closing Ceremony at 4:00 PM. A Jujutsu Kaisen five-year anniversary event and a GKIDS industry panel headline the final day. Any announcements from studios holding their biggest reveals for last will land on Sunday morning
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Solo Leveling movie come out?
No release date has been announced for Solo Leveling: Beyond the System. The theatrical film — a direct continuation following the events of Season 2 — was confirmed at Anime Expo 2026 on July 3, 2026. It is animated by A-1 Pictures and co-produced by Aniplex, D&C Media, and Crunchyroll. A concept promotional video was released at the announcement. Updates are expected through Crunchyroll’s official channels as production progresses
When does Steel Ball Run start streaming?
STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure begins streaming September 25, 2026, with new episodes releasing weekly every Friday. The series runs 11 episodes for its second and third stages. Three additional cast members — Tomoaki Maeno as Mountain Tim, Tomokazu Sugita as Funny Valentine, and Yoko Hikasa as Hot Pants — were confirmed at the Anime Expo 2026 panel. The premiere date was the weekend’s most anticipated announcement for JoJo fans following months of production silence
What is the Akira IMAX release date in 2026?
Katsuhiro Otomo’s 1988 Akira returns to theaters in the United States and Canada on September 4, 2026, in 4K and IMAX format. The theatrical announcement was made at the Crunchyroll Showcase on July 3 at the Peacock Theater during Anime Expo 2026. No international dates beyond the US and Canada have been confirmed
Why is Crunchyroll using Anime Expo as its major announcement platform?
Crunchyroll and its parent companies Sony Pictures Entertainment and Aniplex have progressively consolidated their anime announcement strategy around Anime Expo. The 2025 formation of Hayate — a joint production venture between Aniplex and Crunchyroll — gave the platform direct co-ownership of content rather than purely licensing rights, meaning that major franchise announcements like the Solo Leveling theatrical film are now Crunchyroll’s own assets to unveil. Anime Expo draws more than 100,000 unique attendees annually to Los Angeles during July 4th weekend, with a 2025 turnstile attendance of more than 410,000 from over 65 countries. For a platform serving a paid subscriber base of 15 million-plus, it offers something no other venue provides: an audience pre-selected by IP loyalty, in the calendar window between Summer Game Fest in June and Gamescom in August.
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