Lionsgate Becomes Toei Animation's North American Distribution Partner, Starting With 'Monkey Quest' in 2027

Lionsgate will serve as Toei Animation's North American distribution partner under a new strategic collaboration announced on 8 September 2026, with the animated feature Monkey Quest slated as the first project to reach theatres in 2027 (Deadline).

The deal gives Lionsgate distribution rights in the United States for new projects the Japanese anime studio produces. Lionsgate will also be a first stop for Toei on future co-productions, meaning the two companies will look to each other first when developing new films together (Deadline). Charades, a Paris-based sales company, is handling international sales for Monkey Quest outside the U.S.

Monkey Quest arrives with an attention-getting pedigree. Its story is co-created by Naoto Oshima, the original character designer behind Sonic the Hedgehog. The film is directed by David N. Weiss, with Stephanie Ma Stine and Takao Noguchi sharing co-directing duties. The voice cast is led by Auli'i Cravalho (Moana), Adam Devine, J.K. Simmons, Sam Richardson, Skylar Astin, Anna Chlumsky, and Jonathan Kite (Deadline).

The project is also a test of a new strategy inside Toei. The studio created a Global Strategy and Content Creation Department, signalling a shift from simply exporting anime made for Japanese audiences toward co-creating films aimed at global markets from the start. Monkey Quest is the flagship title for that push (Variety, 14 May 2026).

Toei has been building an audience for the property beyond the screen. In November 2024, the studio partnered with Spaceport Technologies and Twin Atlas to develop a Roblox game titled Hypergalactic: Monkey Quest, intended to extend the franchise into the gaming space before the film arrives (Anime News Network).

For Lionsgate, the deal adds a Japanese animation pipeline to a distribution slate that already spans its own productions and acquired titles. For Toei, it offers a direct route into North American theatres, the largest single box-office market in the world, domestic meaning the United States and Canada. The partnership positions both companies to compete in a theatrical animation landscape where Japanese IP has delivered some of the highest-grossing films of recent years.

Monkey Quest is described as a 2D/3D hybrid animated film aimed at a global family audience. No specific release date within 2027 has been set.