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Eleven Arts to Screen Liz and the Blue Bird, Laughing Under the Clouds Gaiden in U.S. Theaters

Anime News Network's coverage of Anime Expo 2018 is sponsored by Yen Press.

Eleven Arts Anime Studio announced during its panel at Anime Expo on Thursday that it will have theatrical screenings of Naoko Yamada and Kyoto Animation's Liz and the Blue Bird, as well as Wit Studio's Laughing Under the Clouds Gaiden anime film trilogy.

Eleven Arts also announced that it will open the Haikara-San: Here Comes Miss Modern Part 2 film in theaters this winter.

Eleven Arts will open Liz and the Blue Bird in theaters in the United States in November. The film first opened in Japan on April 21, and earned 53,573,900 yen (about US$492,400) in its opening weekend.

Anime Expo is screening the on Friday at 3:00 p.m PDT (6:00 p.m. EDT). The film's composer kensuke ushio is also attending the convention.

The film is the first of two planned all-new anime films for the Sound! Euphonium franchise, based on Ayano Takeda's Sound! Euphonium novel series. Liz and the Blue Bird is based on the Sound! Euphonium ーKitauji Kōkō Suisōgakubu, Hanran no Dai Ni Gakushō: Kōhen (Sound! Euphonium - The Kitauji High School Concert Band's Turbulent Second Movement: Part 2) novel.

The new film focuses on flutist Nozomi Kasaki and oboist Mizore Yoroizuka, the characters that were also the focus of the Sound! Euphonium 2 anime's first half. In the new film, both Nozomi and Mizore are in their final year of high school, and Nozomi has rejoined the band. The band's new competition piece, "Liz and the Blue Bird," has a flute and oboe duet, which requires both Nozomi and Mizore to be coordinated. But while both have been together since middle school, Mizore is uneasy at the thought of being separated from Nozomi once more at the end of the year, which begins to affect not just their music, but their relationship.

Naoko Yamada (K-ON!, A Silent Voice) directed the film off scripts by Reiko Yoshida (K-ON!, Yowamushi Pedal). Futoshi Nishiya (A Silent Voice, Free!, episode animation director for both television anime seasons), returned to design the characters. Mutsuo Shinohara (A Silent Voice, Clannad) returned as art director. Kensuke Ushio (A Silent Voice, Space Dandy) composed the music.

Eleven Arts will open Donten ni Warau Gaiden: Ketsubetsu, Yamainu no Chikai (Parting, The Oath of the Yamainu) and Donten ni Warau Gaiden: Shukumei, Sōtō no Fūma (Fate, The Double-Headed Fūma), the first and second films in the Donten ni Warau Gaiden (Laughing Under the Clouds - Side Story) film trilogy, on August 24. The company will open Donten ni Warau Gaiden: Ōka, Tenbō no Kakyū (Cherry Blossoms, the Bridge to Heavenly Wishes), the third film, at some time in the future.

The first film opened in Japan in December, and the second film opened in Japan on June 9. The third film will open in Japan on September 1.

The original manga by Kemuri Karakara includes stories not told in the original manga, including some from the past and some from the future. The original manga's story takes place in the 11th year of the Meiji era, when the number of people in Japan who feel dissatisfaction toward the government are increasing due to the increasing speed of Westernization and the ban on samurai. In order to curb the increased rate of crime, the government opens a new prison. The three brothers of the Kumo family are entrusted with the duty of transporting these criminals to the new prison, but adventures await them on the way.

Tetsuya Wakano (episode director for Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, The Rolling Girls, Danbōru Senki Wars) is directing the trilogy at Wit Studio. Eiji Umehara (Grimoire of Zero, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, Lagrange - The Flower of Rin-ne) is handling the series composition, and Kii Tanaka (M3 the dark metal, KONOSUBA - God's blessing on this wonderful world! 2) is the character designer and chief animation director. Hitomi Ezoe (episode director for new JoJo's Bizarre Adventure franchise, My Hero Academia season 2) is the assistant director, and Yutaka Yamada (Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo Ghoul √A) is composing the music.

Source: Email correspondence with Eleven Arts, Eleven Arts Anime Expo panel (Gabriella Ekens)