Kyoto Animatino (KyoAni) has recently updated the status of the Violet Evergarden film, pushing its release back a few months. However, in the case of the Free! theatrcial film, that project has been placed on hold indefinitely. The film was originally slated to hit Japanese theaters in 2020.
Kyoto Animation is currently in the midst of trying to rebuild after a crazed arsonist set fire to one of the campuses' main building, killing 36 people and injuring 33 others.
Though placed on hold, the title of the new film was unveiled, which some fans are taking as a sign that it's not dead in the water. The fourth anime film adaptation of the light novel franchise will be titled Free! See you in the future!.
The Free! TV anime series debuted in July 2013 and is based on the the light novel, High Speed! from writer Kōji Ōji and illustrator Futoshi Nishiya. The project was a submission in the 2011 Kyoto Animation Award, a competition which sees amateur and professional animator, mangaka and writers submit ideas to the animation studio in hopes of receiving a TV anime adaptation. Free! recieved an honorable mention distinction that year, along with Beyond the Boundary.