Crunchyroll jsut announced that the English dub voice casting for Makoto Shinkai’s highly anticipated film Suzume which will be led by Nichole Sakura (CBS’s “Ghosts,” NBC’s “Superstore,” Disney+ “Star Wars: Visions”) as main heroine Suzume Iwato.
Other roles cast include:
- Josh Keaton as Souta
- Jennifer Sun Bell as Tamaki
- Joe Zieja as Serizawa
- Rosalie Chang as Chika
- Amanda C. Miller as Rumi
- Mela Lee as Miki
- Cam Clarke as Munakata
The English dub version will debut – in addition to the original subtitle – in theaters in Australia and New Zealand on April 13 and in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland on April 14, 2023. Bill Millsap is the English voice director.
About Nichole Sakura
Nichole Sakura recently wrapped a leading role in the Universal feature, Please Don’t Destroy and can be seen as one of the leads of the Hulu series, Maggie with Rebecca Rittenhouse from creators Maggie Mull and Justin Adler.
Previously, Nichole starred on NBC's Superstore, where she starred for six seasons as ‘Cheyenne." Nichole's character also had a spin-off in development at NBC.
Nichole will also voice one of the lead roles in The Disney Channel's upcoming animated series, KIFF.
Nichole also wrote and starred in the Funny or Die Sketch series #NICEGIRLS about girls who are a little too considerate. Nichole has also appeared as a recurring character on the Showtime series, Shameless as ‘Amanda.’ Previous feature credits include, Project X, Man Up, and Teenage Cocktail which premiered at SXSW.
About Suzume
Suzume hits theaters this April on big screens globally and will be distributed by Crunchyroll, in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, Wild Bunch International, Wild Bunch Germany, and Eurozoom (excluding Asia). Last May during the Cannes Film Festival, Crunchyroll acquired the international distribution and marketing rights (excluding Asia) from TOHO for the film produced by CoMix Wave Films and STORY inc.
Suzume will be distributed in all major territories:
- In North America, Crunchyroll is the sole distributor.
- In Latin America, Australia/New Zealand, the Middle East and portions of Europe, the film will be distributed by Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
- In French- and German-speaking Europe, the film will be co-distributed by Crunchyroll, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Wild Bunch International, Wild Bunch Germany, and Eurozoom.
Award-winning creator, writer and director Makoto Shinkai has been a visionary in the animation space for decades, with the most recent films being “Your Name.” (2016) and “Weathering With You” (2019), both of which have catapulted him as leading animation auteur with international viewers. “Weathering With You” was selected as Japan’s entry for the best international feature film category of the 2020 Academy Awards and nominated in four categories in the 47th annual Annie Awards including best animated independent feature.
Suzume is the story about a young girl traveling through various ruins across Japan while closing doors causing disaster. Check out the brief summary of the film below!
On the other side of the door, was time in its entirety—
“Suzume” is a coming-of-age story for the 17-year-old protagonist, Suzume, set in various disaster-stricken locations across Japan, where she must close the doors causing devastation.
Suzume’s journey begins in a quiet town in Kyushu (located in southwestern Japan) when she encounters a young man who tells her, “I’m looking for a door.” What Suzume finds is a single weathered door standing upright in the midst of ruins as though it was shielded from whatever catastrophe struck. Seemingly drawn by its power, Suzume reaches for the knob… Doors begin to open one after another all across Japan, unleashing destruction upon any who are near. Suzume must close these portals to prevent further disaster.
—The stars, then sunset, and the morning sky.
Within that realm, it was as though all time had melted together in the sky…
Never-before-seen scenery, encounters and farewells… A myriad of challenges await her on her journey. Despite all the obstacles in her way, Suzume’s adventure shines a ray of hope upon our own struggles against the toughest roads of anxiety and constraints that make up everyday life. This story of closing doors that connect our past to the present and future will leave a lasting impression upon all of our hearts.
Drawn in by these mysterious doors, Suzume’s journey is about to begin.
About Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll, LLC is an independently operated joint venture between US-based Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Japan’s Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., both subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Sony Group.
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