French animation powerhouse Miyu Productions has teamed with Tokyo-based upstart Nothing New to co-produce “We Are Aliens,” a coming-of-age story now in growth, and slated for completion by March 2026.

The challenge marks the primary animated function from 28-year-old director Kohei Kadowaki, greatest recognized for his visually putting music movies for chart-topping acts like Yoasobi and for his experimental mix of live-action and animation.

“We Are Aliens” tells the story of two boys, Tsubasa and Gyotaro. Tsubasa is quiet and critical, whereas Gyotaro is a cheerful genius. As youngsters, they had been shut pals, however jealousy and misunderstandings drove them aside. Years later, their lives have gone in several instructions—however when reminiscences from the previous come again, each should face what occurred between them.

“This movie turns the highlight on the half of adolescence anime not often touches,” says director Kohei Kadowaki, promising a bittersweet movie redolent in each ache and pleasure. “By means of youngsters’s quarrels and first loves—small occasions in a small place—the movie poses common questions: What does it imply to develop outdated? What’s happiness? By affirming the Tsubasa and Gyotaro that dwell in each coronary heart, it goals to turn into a narrative cherished throughout time and borders.”

“We’re continuously searching for daring, singular voices in animation,” add Miyu producers Emmanuel-Alain Raynal and Pierre Baussaron. “From the second we noticed the primary pictures of ‘We Are Aliens,’ we had been satisfied of the power of the challenge—and that we had been witnessing the emergence of a significant new voice in international animation.”

Miyu Productions beforehand collaborated with Tokyo-based Shin-Ei Animation on “Ghost Cat Anzu,” which premiered out of Administrators’ Fortnight on the 2024 Cannes Movie Pageant. Miyu’s new partnership with Nothing New was born of that very same journey down the Croisette, the place the 2 corporations related over a shared dedication to bold, director-driven animation.

“We met our like-minded companions throughout the 2024 Cannes Movie Pageant and have since held detailed discussions,” says Nothing New producer Kentaro Hayashi. “It’s an honor to announce our collaboration at this juncture, and we’ll proceed working collectively to ship this movie to the widest attainable viewers. [Director] Kohei combines breathtaking visuals with delicate storytelling. Along with his distinctive fashion—in contrast to something in Japanese animation so far—we intend to set a brand new benchmark for coming-of-age cinema.”