In response to the studio KyoAni fire, Japanese movie distributor Shochiku Inc. has issued a statement about the upcoming Violet Evergarden movie and OVA episode, as well as the Free! 2020 movie. According to a Yahoo Japan report, the release dates for all three projects produced by Kyoto Animation Studio are “not expected to be affected at this time”.
The official Twitter account for the Free! Iwatobi Swim Club anime series has announced that they have canceled the Free! 2020 movie teaser due to the KyoAni fire attack. The screening of Free! Movie 3: Road to the World was originally scheduled to take place on Friday, July 19, 2019.
Unless a delay is announced at a later date, the Violet Evergarden movie release date is scheduled for January 10, 2020. The Violet Evergarden OVA episode release date is scheduled for September 6, 2019.
The Free! 2020 movie release date is planned for the summer of 2020. An official announcement concerning the Free! movie was originally planned for July 19. It’s possible the exact premiere date was going to be announced.
The status of other projects being produced at the Japanese animation studio is currently unknown. It’s possible a decision will be made to delay or cancel some of Kyoto Animation studio’s current projects, including Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Season 2.
京アニ第1スタジオが燃えてる pic.twitter.com/zVtP6STGMn
— ヤノパイセン (@mipyong1) July 18, 2019
The Kyoto Animation fire shocked the anime-loving world with the ferocity of the attack. This arson attack has become the largest single mass murder in post-war Japan.
Authorities have reported that the KyoAni arson attack has resulted in 33 people dead, with 36 injured in the hospital. The KyoAni studio is relatively small, with around 150 employees in total, and about 70 people were in the building when the arson attack took place.
The attack took place at Studio 1 in Fushimi-ku, which is an office where management, directors, and key staff work on the studio’s various projects. Studio 2 and other office locations are reportedly safe. The names of the dead have not yet been released, although several people, including director Yasuhiro Takemoto, are reportedly missing (please see the related article for latest details on Takemoto).