Guillermo del Toro and James Gunn to Headline Crunchyroll's Anime Summit

Crunchyroll is mounting an ambitious first edition of its Anime Future Forum, assembling a roster of speakers that bridges Hollywood auteurs and the most powerful figures in Japanese publishing and animation. The invitation-only summit, scheduled for October 7 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, signals just how seriously Sony — Crunchyroll's parent — is treating anime as a pillar of its long-term entertainment strategy.

A Filmmaker of del Toro's Caliber Sets the Tone

Few directors working today carry as much credibility in the realm of fantastical, visually immersive storytelling as Guillermo del Toro, whose career has long existed in productive dialogue with animation, manga aesthetics, and the kind of mythological world-building that anime has elevated into an art form. His presence at a forum explicitly designed to chart anime's future is not mere celebrity decoration — it is a statement of creative seriousness. Del Toro has consistently argued for the legitimacy of genre and animated work as high art, a position that aligns naturally with what Crunchyroll is trying to accomplish culturally. His commitment to craft over convenience is well documented; audiences may recall his unequivocal stance when he vowed 'No Goddamn AI' in the Pan's Labyrinth 3D Return, a position that resonates deeply within an anime community currently wrestling with the same technological pressures.

Joining him will be James Gunn, whose work constructing the new DC Universe demonstrates a facility with IP management and transmedia thinking that will be directly relevant to the forum's thematic agenda.

Japan's Industry Elite at the Table

Perhaps the more consequential dimension of the forum is the concentration of Japanese industry leadership it has attracted, according to The Hollywood Reporter. MAPPA president and CEO Manabu Otsuka represents a studio that has become synonymous with prestige anime production over the past several years. Toho executive officer Taichi Ueda brings the perspective of a company with deep roots in both theatrical exhibition and iconic franchise management. Shueisha editor-in-chief Yuta Momiyama, who oversees the digital operations of Shonen Jump+, represents the manga pipeline that feeds so much of what eventually becomes anime, while Atsuhiro Iwakami — Sony Music Entertainment Japan president and Aniplex chairman — connects the music, production, and distribution threads that run through the medium's commercial ecosystem.

This is not a panel assembled for optics. These are decision-makers whose organizations collectively shape what gets made, how it gets distributed, and which intellectual properties reach global audiences.

The Broader Program and What It Reveals

Organized around the theme "Designing for Anime's Future," the forum's sessions will address transmedia storytelling across anime, gaming, and live-action formats; the evolving theatrical experience; the future of manga as a medium; and the expanding role of influencers and fan communities in driving the genre's reach. Sony Pictures Animation president Kristine Belson will moderate a conversation with Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson, directors of the forthcoming Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, a pairing that underscores how fluidly the lines between Western animation and anime-influenced aesthetics have dissolved in recent years.

Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn, rapper and author Big Sean, and content creator Jordan Howlett will contribute a fan-facing dimension to the proceedings, grounding the industry conversation in the audience passion that sustains the medium. Sony Group president and CEO Hiroki Totoki will deliver opening remarks, with Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman Ravi Ahuja speaking during the day and Crunchyroll president Rahul Purini closing with announcements.

Sony first outlined its intentions for the forum in May, framing anime as a meaningful growth sector and noting that Crunchyroll had crossed 21 million paid subscribers globally as of the end of March. With more than 400 industry attendees expected, and the forum scheduled immediately before New York Comic Con opens at the same venue October 8 through 11, the timing reflects a deliberate attempt to place anime's industrial future at the center of pop culture's most visible autumn gathering.

For a filmmaker like del Toro — whose collaborators continue to find new chapters in their careers, as seen when Ron Perlman signed with IAG as del Toro's collaborator's career evolved — participation in a forum like this feels entirely consistent with a creative identity that has never drawn sharp lines between mediums.

Related on Ni4o: Ron Perlman Signs With IAG as del Toro Collaborator's Career Evolves