Bandai Namco Filmworks launches ‘Pursuing The Future’ animation short-film project led by Sunrise and featuring talent behind ‘Akira’ and Oscar-nominated ‘Possessions’

The six-part program will produce original 3D CG animated shorts created in partnership with multiple Japanese studios, with Bandai Namco Filmworks and Sunrise leading the slate.

By The Apex Times Newsroom2 min readAI-assisted Apex article

Bandai Namco Filmworks has launched a new animation short-film initiative, “Pursuing The Future,” partnering with six Japanese animation studios to produce original 3D CG short films, Deadline reported in an exclusive report. The project is designed to highlight emerging technologies and creative ideas in Japanese animation, with each short produced through a collaboration between Bandai Namco Filmworks and one of the partner studios.

Sunrise Studios is set to lead the slate, according to Deadline, as part of an overall team that includes Bandai Namco Filmworks and five additional animation studios. Deadline said the program consists of six separate original 3D CG animated shorts, each associated with a different studio partner rather than a single production team.

Deadline’s report also tied the effort to high-profile creative talent, noting that the project’s leadership includes people from the teams behind “Akira,” as well as “Possessions,” a film described as Oscar-nominated in the report. Deadline did not identify additional creators in the summary provided, and the company’s announced roster of contributors beyond those references was not included in the available text.

The announcement positions the initiative as a showcase for technical and artistic experimentation in the production pipeline, rather than a franchise installment tied to a single existing series. Deadline characterized the program’s goal as bringing together “latest technologies” and “creative ideas” to develop new short-form storytelling approaches in Japanese animation.

As part of its launch, Bandai Namco Filmworks is also promoting “Metafear,” identified in Deadline as the project’s image caption. The report treated the visual component as part of the broader program presentation, indicating that at least one of the shorts or related materials will be highlighted publicly in connection with the project’s rollout.

While specific release dates and distribution plans were not included in the information provided for this draft, Deadline framed the launch as the start of a structured, multi-studio production effort. The company’s next steps, based on typical short-film rollouts of this type, would be public unveiling of each studio’s individual entry and subsequent release or screening windows, once production and post-production milestones are completed.

The project’s emphasis on 3D CG production and studio-to-studio collaboration may affect how audiences experience new animation work, because it combines multiple creative styles within a unified program. It also underscores the role of large production backers like Bandai Namco Filmworks in financing and coordinating new technical trials across several independent animation houses, while keeping the output in a short-film format intended for focused presentation.

Why It Matters

A multi-studio, 3D CG-focused short-film slate can serve as a public testbed for production techniques, with potential implications for how Japanese animation studios adopt new pipelines.
The project brings together major institutional producers and specialized studios under a single umbrella, which can concentrate resources but also shape scheduling and release coordination across partners.
High-recognition creative talent connections, including work associated with “Akira” and an Oscar-nominated title referred to as “Possessions,” may draw attention to the program’s standards and quality goals as each short is unveiled.
Because the initiative is formatted as six separate shorts rather than one feature-length release, audiences and critics may evaluate results on a studio-by-studio basis when entries are released.

Sources

Key Facts

Bandai Namco Filmworks launched an animation short-film project titled “Pursuing The Future,” reported by Deadline in an exclusive June 17, 2026 report.
The project will produce six original short films, all described as 3D CG animated shorts.
Deadline said Sunrise Studios will lead the project and that six leading animation studios are involved in total, including Sunrise and five other partners.
Deadline said the project is intended to showcase the latest technologies and creative ideas in Japanese animation.
Deadline said the project includes talent associated with “Akira” and an Oscar-nominated film referred to as “Possessions.”
Deadline identified “Metafear” as the image caption connected with the announcement.