It has been announced that the title of the fourth animated film based on the popular character Sumikko Gurashi has been decided as " Sumikko Gurashi : The Movie - The Kingdom of the Sky and the Two of Them" and that it will be released on October 31st. The latest film is set in the Kingdom of the Sky, which is located above the clouds, and one day, a prince from the Kingdom of the Sky arrives in the town of the Sumikko Gurashi kids after a continuous rainstorm, and a new story begins. A teaser visual has been released showing the new character, a prince named ??? falling from the sky. It has also been announced that the film will be directed by Iwata Naomi, who has worked on animation such as "Pingu in the City," and that Takashi Kakuta of the theater company "Europe Kikaku" will be writing the script, following the first and third films.
A Teaser trailer was also released. The trailer begins with the narrator saying, "Adventure is falling from the sky!?" as the prince comes crashing down through the clouds. The Sumikkogurashi rescue the fallen prince, and are guided by the prince to ride the clouds to a wonderful kingdom. The adventure costumes of the Sumikkogurashi who will save the kingdom from a crisis together with the hardworking prince were also unveiled.
Yoshihiko Inohara, who is in charge of the narration, commented, "New characters join the usual Sumikkogurashi community, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the relationships will change. Will we see new sides to them? Or will they remain completely the same as before? Since it's a Sumikkogurashi story, I can imagine that they might have some kind of complex. What's more, this time they're coming from the sky, so I'm excited to see if they'll bring something new to the story!"
Manami Honjo, who also provides the narration, said, "The setting of this story is a kingdom in the sky. A kingdom in the sky! Doesn't it get you excited just imagining what the castle looks like and what kind of lives the people in the kingdom lead? I'm sure you can't wait to find out who the child behind the ``Prince'' floating in the sky on the poster is! The laid-back, easy-going Sumikkogurashi will be making a name for themselves on the big screen once again. Please look forward to the film's release this fall."
Director Iwata commented, "The Sumikkogurashi are a little negative, but they are warm and fuzzy characters who will gently comfort your heart. And now they are going on an adventure. It is a great adventure for me to be able to take part in a film with such fascinating characters. I am feeling soothed by the Sumikkogurashi, and I am enjoying this exciting and wonderful adventure with the production team!"
Screenwriter Kakuta said, "I am very happy to be involved in the Sumikko Gurashi movie again. From the very first meeting, I had a solid image of the costumes the Sumikkogurashi characters would wear in the movie, and the world view, story, and two guest actors were created as if guided by that. That's right, it's about two characters this time!... But which two are we talking about? Please go to the theater and find out for yourself. The Sumikkogurashi characters will invite everyone to the kingdom of the sky."
Sumikko Gurashi is a popular character that has been developed by San-X, known for Tarepanda and Rilakkuma, since 2012. The first film, " Sumikko Gurashi the Movie: The Pop-up Picture Book and the Secret Child" (directed by Mankyu), was released in 2019, the second film, " Sumikko Gurashi the Movie: The Magical Child of the Blue Moonlit Night" (directed by Omori Takahiro), was released in 2021, and the third film, " Sumikko Gurashi the Movie: The Mysterious Child of the Patchwork Factory" (directed by Sakuda Hazumu), was released in 2023. The series is gaining in popularity, with the cumulative audience numbers for the first three films exceeding 3 million.
