During a
special panel at the Anime Expo, renowned animation studio CloverWorks announced
the release of its upcoming original film, titled Grotesqqque,
which is scheduled for release sometime in 2026. The announcement
was accompanied by a new promotional video that gives a glimpse of the
aesthetics and tone of the project.
A
fragmented and ambitious narrative proposal
The film
will be directed by Atsushi Nishigori, known for his work on THE
iDOLM@STER and DARLING in the FRANXX. The film will
have an omnibus format, that is, it will be composed of three
independent stories that will share a common theme: the grotesque and
the surreal.
- Aeliens: A story still shrouded in
mystery, probably centered on beings from another world.
- 4649 Girl (Yoroshiku★Shōjo): A play on words that
combines the Japanese expression "much pleasure" (4649 is
pronounced "yoroshiku") with a mysterious aesthetic, since the
literal meaning of the kanji is "The evening dew is headed for its
small death★".
- Nocturne: Kono Grotesque na
Yoru ni: Translated
as "Nocturne: On this grotesque night," it promises a dense and
melancholic atmosphere, as its name suggests.
A
blockbuster under the JOEN label
The project
is backed by JOEN, a joint venture founded by Aniplex (a
subsidiary of Sony), CloverWorks, Wit Studio (sister
of Production I.G) and publisher Shueisha. This strategic alliance
aims to strengthen the creation of original content with high artistic value.
The
executive producers in charge are Yūichi Fukushima of
CloverWorks and Tetsuya Nakatake of Wit Studio, who act as
representatives of JOEN and will be key pieces in the development and execution
of this ambitious film.
A work
that promises to break the mould
With its
experimental narrative and a top-notch creative team, Grotesqq is
shaping up to be one of the most intriguing releases of 2026. Although there is
still no exact release date confirmed, anime fans are already keeping an eye on
each new teaser of this promising project.
