Toei Animation and Lionsgate Begin New Family Film Partnership With “Monkey Quest”

There are few names in Japanese animation quite as recognizable as Toei Animation.

Across generations, the studio has helped bring some of anime’s most recognizable characters and worlds to screens around the globe. From “Dragon Ball” and “One Piece” to “Digimon,” Toei Animation has played a major role in turning Japanese animation into the worldwide force it is today.

Now, the company is looking to expand that reach even further.

Toei Animation and Lionsgate have entered into a new strategic partnership that will bring upcoming Toei animated films to audiences in the United States, beginning with the family adventure “Monkey Quest” in 2027. Under the new agreement, Lionsgate will serve as Toei Animation’s U.S. distribution partner for new projects produced by the studio and will also become a first stop for potential future co-productions.

That makes “Monkey Quest” considerably more interesting than simply another animated movie heading to theaters. It is the first project in what both companies clearly hope becomes a much larger relationship, potentially giving Toei another pathway to reach North American kids and families beyond the established anime franchises audiences already know.

And they are beginning with quite the adventure.

Set in a near-future world where danger and wonder collide, “Monkey Quest” follows a fearless teenage girl and her brother as they search for their missing parents. Along the way, the siblings accidentally awaken Okon, a long-forgotten protector of Earth who possesses extraordinary powers. The unlikely trio soon finds themselves on a high-stakes journey where learning to trust one another may prove just as important as whatever dangers are waiting ahead.

At the center of all that adventure is a story about family. As the siblings continue searching for their parents, they and Okon will have to discover what it actually means to become one, giving the movie an emotional throughline beneath all those powers and near-future dangers.

The voice cast is equally packed, with “Moana” star Auli’i Cravalho leading an ensemble that includes Adam Devine, J.K. Simmons, Sam Richardson, Skylar Astin, Anna Chlumsky and Jonathan Kite.

There is some equally interesting talent behind the adventure. The story was co-created by Naoto Oshima, the original character designer behind none other than Sonic the Hedgehog. David N. Weiss, whose credits include writing “Shrek 2,” directs alongside Stephanie Ma Stine of “Kung Fu Panda 4” and Takao Noguchi, a character designer whose credits include “How to Train Your Dragon” and “The Croods.”

Taken together, that is a creative team with roots stretching across Japanese games and animation alongside several major Western family-animation franchises. It feels particularly appropriate for a movie that will also serve as the beginning of a new bridge between Toei Animation and Lionsgate.

For Toei, that bridge could ultimately be the bigger story. The studio certainly doesn’t need an introduction to American anime fans, but “Monkey Quest” represents an opportunity to bring the Toei name directly to a broader theatrical family audience with something entirely new. Toei itself describes the movie as a new chapter in its effort to expand its global fanbase, while Lionsgate says the film is only the beginning of the companies’ relationship.

Where that partnership eventually leads remains to be seen. For now, however, a teenage girl, her brother and one extremely powerful protector will be the ones beginning the quest.

“Monkey Quest” is set to arrive in North American theaters in 2027.