Today was a good day for Iwatobi Swim Team fans.
Earlier today, Funimation announced that they acquired the home video rights for the Free! -Timeless Medley movie trilogy, as well as High Speed! -Free! Starting Days-. The publisher will reveal more details on their release plans for the films in the future.
Funimation picked up the following films:
- High Speed! -Free Starting Days-
- Free! -Timeless Medley- Kizuna
- Free! -Timeless Medley- Yakusoku
- Free! -Take Your Marks-
In addition, Funimation will give Free! -Take Your Marks- a theatrical run in the United States. The film will be shown in select theaters as a one-night-only show on March 14. The screening will also feature an animated introduction greeting and introduction to the film by the Free! cast, which previously ran as a Japanese theater exclusive.
High Speed! -Free Starting Days
High Speed! -Free! Starting Days- hit theaters on December 5, 2015.
The film is based on Hiroko Utsumi’s light novel High Speed!, which was loosely adapted into the original Free! Iwatobi Swim Club anime series. The film was directed by Yasuhiro Takemoto (Amagi Brilliant Park) and animated by Kyoto Animation. Free! character designer Futoshi Nishiya returned as character designer on the project.
Free! -Timeless Medley- Kizuna & Yakusoku
Free! -Endless Medley- Kizuna and Yakusoku hit theaters in April and July 2017, respectively. The two films recap the events of the first two seasons of the Free! anime series.
Eisaku Kawanami was tapped to direct the films at Animation Do and Kyoto Animation, with Futoshi Nishiya (Free! – Iwatobi Swim Club, Nichijou – My Ordinary Life) providing character designs. Masahiro Yokotani (Free! – Iwatobi Swim Club, The Devil is a Part-Timer!) wrote the films’ scripts.
Free! -Take Your Marks-
Free! Take Your Marks hit Japanese theaters on October 28. The feature is the third in a trilogy of compilation movies, which covers the following episodes:
- Unmei no Choice! (The Choice of Destiny!)
- Hitou no Cooling Down! (Cooling Down at The Secret Hot Spring!)
- Yakusoku no Butterfly! (Butterfly of The Promise!)
- Tabidachi no Eternal Blue! (Eternal Blue of The Departure!)
Eisaku Kawanami was tapped to direct the film at Animation Do and Kyoto Animation, with Futoshi Nishiya providing character designs. Masahiro Yokotani was in charge of the film’s script.
Source: Funimation (Press Release)
