Back in July at Anime Expo 2022, Anime News Network was able to interview producer Shinji Shimizu. In the interview, Shimizu shared several interesting pieces of information about the legendary pirate and why he finally makes a return in the new movie. When asked about what makes Film: Red stand out among the rest of the One Piece movies, Shimizu said that Shanks’ appearance is the key thing that makes it unique. Shimizu then shared about how, before Film: Red, he would often ask series creator Eiichiro Oda if they can add Shanks in the next movie. Finally, with this new movie, Oda granted his request. Though Shimizu mentioned that it’s less about him being persistent with Oda and more of Oda deciding that now is the best time to revisit Shanks. Especially considering that the series is now heading towards its final arc. Some have speculated that One Piece Film: Red will feature the long-awaited reunion of Luffy and Shanks. Though we can’t answer that right now as the film has only been seen by fans in Japan and in select countries such as France that have gotten special advance screenings. What is confirmed is that the movie features the first appearance of the complete Red-Haired Pirates. Shimizu confirmed this in his recent interview. Aside from Shanks’ crew, the film also has an all-star cast with a lot of pirate groups from all over the world. One Piece Film: Red is the fifteenth movie in the franchise, and it features the new character Uta, the world’s most popular singer and the daughter of Shanks. Uta is significant as she is reportedly a canon character. She also has two people that play her, with Kaori Nazuka as her speaking voice and Ado as her singing voice. The movie is now screening in cinemas across Japan. A Fall 2022 release is scheduled in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Ireland, and more.
