Japanese director Makoto Shinkai to visit Korea in March to promote 'Suzume'

Japanese filmmaker Makoto Shinkai, left, and actor Nanoka Hara / Courtesy of Media Castle

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Makoto Shinkai, the filmmaker behind fantasy anime films, “Your Name” (2017) and “Weathering with You” (2019), will visit Korea in March to promote his new film, “Suzume.”

The Japanese director will visit during March 7-9 with lead voice actor Nanoka Hara, who stars as the heroine in the film, according to the film's local distributor Showbox. Hara competed for the role with over 1,700 other applicants at the audition.

A poster for the film "Suzume" / Courtesy of Media Castle

Shinkai's "Your Name" has sold 3.79 million tickets in Korea, making it the highest-grossing anime film here. It is followed by “The First Slam Dunk” (2023), which gathered 3.57 million admissions as of Monday, and “Howl's Moving Castle (2004),” which topped 2.61 million in ticket sales.

The two will attend promotional events for the upcoming film, including a press conference scheduled for March 8.

Set to be released on March 8 in Korea, “Suzume” tells the story of a 17-year-old high school girl named Suzume who helps a mysterious young man prevent a series of deadly natural disasters. The film premiered at this year's Berlin Film Festival. It sold over 10 million tickets in Japan, becoming the third biggest box office title last year.