The anime producer Hideo Katsumata, president of the streaming service Anime Times and representative of Avex Pictures, explained in a recent interview the reasons behind the film's cancellation Yuri on ICE: Ice Adolescence. According to him, the project could not be completed due to difficulties in the creative area.
A cancellation derived from internal conflicts
“I can't talk about the details as they include very personal matters. But if you ask me if it was a creative or business problem, the reason comes from the creative side. As this was an original animation, a situation arose between the creators and the MAPPA studio in which it simply became impossible to continue production”, Katsumata stated in the interview with Animehunch.
The film, which would serve as a direct sequel to the original anime, was officially canceled in april 2024, seven years after its initial announcement. At that time, the study MAPPA he published a statement on his official account X (formerly Twitter), reporting that “after multiple discussions between the production committee and staff, the difficult decision was made to stop production due to various circumstances”.
The context of the project
Yuri on ICE: Ice Adolescence it was originally announced in 2017 as a direct continuation of the anime broadcast in 2016. However, the project faced several delays before being officially cancelled. According to Katsumata, the final decision was based on problems of creative direction and coordination between the teams involved, rather than budgetary issues.
The trajectory of the franchise
Yuri on ICE it was an original production directed by Sayo Yamamoto and written by Mitsurou Kubo. The anime, composed of 12 episodes, follows the story of the Japanese skater Yuri Katsuki, who after a defeat in the Grand Prix returns to his hometown with doubts about his future. His life changes when the world champion Victor Nikiforov he decides to become his coach, while a young Russian competitor, Yuri Plisetsky, seeks to surpass them both.
The anime was produced by MAPPA and it became one of the most recognized series of its year for its animation and sports theme. However, the long-awaited film sequel failed to materialize.
