Crunchyroll Live-Action plans took shape at the inaugural Anime Future Forum, where the company introduced a new division and outlined partnerships spanning animation, manga and gaming. The New York event also featured new details about Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse and appearances by James Gunn and Samuel L. Jackson.

Held at the Javits Center, the forum brought together speakers from entertainment companies, publishers and creative communities. Guillermo del Toro had been announced as a guest earlier, but Samuel L. Jackson replaced him. The program included panels about film, television, manga, gaming and creators.

Crunchyroll Live-Action Division Sets Out Its Aim

Sony Pictures Entertainment Chairman and CEO Ravi Ahuja announced Storyworks during the forum. The division will bring together Crunchyroll, Aniplex, Japan’s creative community and Sony Pictures to develop global stories into anime and Japanese anime into live-action projects.

Tohru Iokibe will lead Storyworks and report to Crunchyroll Chief Content Officer Asa Suehira. A 25-year Sony veteran, Iokibe will work with Japanese creators on projects for HAYATE, a joint venture with Aniplex. The source says the division aims to keep original creative visions at the center of those projects.

Ahuja said anime’s global audience had grown through the work of creators, studios and publishers. He described Storyworks as a way to protect what makes anime distinctive while amplifying the form. His comments framed the division as an effort to support creator-led stories across formats.

Manga and PlayStation Plans Reach New Markets

Crunchyroll also said its premium Crunchyroll Manga add-on would expand in English-speaking international markets starting Wednesday. Readers in the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, Nepal and Pakistan would gain access to localized English versions of more than 250 titles.

J-Novel Club, Square Enix and Yen Press were named among the initial publishing partners. Additional titles and publishers are expected, including action intellectual property from VIZ Media. The source did not list a full release calendar for the added manga.

Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO Hideaki Nishino said anime would receive a dedicated space in the PlayStation5 home experience beginning next spring. The area is planned to center on anime and anime-inspired games while also offering access to Crunchyroll.

The announcement builds on the companies’ work around the upcoming Ghost of Tsushima: Legends anime series. Nishino said the new area is designed to help PlayStation users discover anime content. The source did not provide further details about its interface or launch timing.

At the forum, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse co-director Bob Persichetti discussed the film’s production with Sony Pictures Animation President Kristine Belson. He described animation production as segmented and said the team sought more spontaneity while making the first two films and the third, which was in production.

Other recent entertainment coverage has included Naomi Ackie’s discussion of Star Wars, the Tokyo film festival lineup and Roseanne Barr’s independent series. The forum’s mix of announcements put Crunchyroll’s expansion alongside film and gaming projects, with more specifics left to future release plans.

Read The Hollywood Reporter’s forum coverage for the event’s full set of industry discussions.