Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Adaptation Deemed Too Experimental - New Poster Revealed

It was recently announced that the Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice adaptation by Qzil.la studio has been included in the Annecy International Animation Film Festival program. The anime will be shown in the "Midnight Specials" section, which typically features the most experimental, provocative, and visually unconventional works.

For the Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice adaptation, this is a significant moment: the 2026 festival program has a separate section for Japanese animation, but the project was apparently considered too experimental or violent for it.

It was also announced that a three-week theatrical release in Japanese cinemas will begin on September 4, while in the rest of the world, the anime will be distributed on the Crunchyroll streaming service. However, it is not yet specified whether the project will be released on streaming simultaneously with the theatrical release or later – the exact date has not been revealed, but the release is expected before the end of this year.

The project's director is Ken'ichi Kutsuna, who previously worked on "The Fire Hunter," "Magical Destroyers," and "Love of Kill." The script is written by Takuya Sato, known for "Selector Infected WIXOSS" and "Fate/stay night." Takahiro Kishida, who worked on "Haikyuu!!" and "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind," is responsible for character design.

Along with the announcements, the creators presented a new key visual – a poster featuring Wolf and the Divine Heir Kuro standing amidst blood-soaked snow.