Anime Producers Build In-House Film Distribution Systems
By cutting out middlemen, anime producers can keep more revenue from the booming domestic box office, which saw the top fourteen films earn ¥90.1 billion in 2025.
Reporting from 1 sources: Animenomics.
Anime production companies are moving away from relying on legacy theatrical distributors like Toho, Shochiku, and Toei, instead forming their own domestic film distribution systems to retain a larger share of box office earnings. This week, Sony-owned Aniplex and publishing giant Kadokawa announced a joint venture called Animec for anime film distribution and promotion. The following day, Bandai Namco Filmworks established a new film distribution division, building on early success with the short film "Milky Subway: The Galactic Limited Express," which opened in fourth place at the Japanese box office last month despite screening in only 73 theaters and has earned over ¥400 million (US$2.5 million) domestically. Bandai Namco Filmworks also plans to use its distribution expertise to redistribute older films in its catalog. The shift comes as anime's fourteen highest-grossing films in 2025 earned a cumulative ¥90.1 billion (US$573 million) at the Japanese box office, with at least half of that going to distributors.
Aniplex and Kadokawa's new joint venture, Animec, was announced this week, fulfilling a commitment Sony made when it acquired a 10 percent stake in Kadokawa in 2024 for joint promotion of both companies' IP. Bandai Namco Filmworks' new division builds on experience co-distributing Mobile Suit Gundam films. The company's direct distribution of "Milky Subway: The Galactic Limited Express" earned over ¥400 million from only 73 theaters, demonstrating the viability of the approach. The Animenomics report notes that anime producers have historically relied on distributors like Toho, Shochiku, and Toei because those companies have established relationships with cinemas and exhibition companies. The same newsletter also reported that Twin Engine has acquired anime studio Nut, known for "The Saga of Tanya the Evil" and "Blue Giant," and that "Jujutsu Kaisen: Phantom Parade" has become CyberAgent's second most successful mobile game, accounting for 17 percent of the company's cumulative mobile game revenue from Japan since its November 2023 launch.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.