Grotesqqque, Atsushi Nishigori's Anthology Anime Film, Heads to Fantasia for Its World Premiere

What was announced

The official account for Grotesqqque marked one week until the anthology anime film's world premiere, pointing fans to the festival's site to secure tickets. According to the official Fantasia International Film Festival listing, the film screens in Montreal as part of the festival's Animation Plus section, with the countdown pointing to a July 24 debut. Fantasia's 30th edition, a long running Canadian genre film festival, runs from July 16 to August 2.

A new original film from Atsushi Nishigori

Grotesqqque is an original animation film created by Atsushi Nishigori, the director behind Darling in the Franxx and The Idolm@ster and a chief animation director on Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time. Coverage from Anitrendz and OtakuKart credits studio CloverWorks with the production under JOEN, the planning company that CloverWorks, Aniplex, Wit Studio, and Shueisha established in 2022. Reporting frames the project as one of Nishigori's most personal efforts, built around three loosely connected stories rather than a single narrative.

Three stories in one program

Our catalog describes the film as an anthology of three segments: A(E)liens, 4649 Girl, and Nocturne: En Cette Nuit Grotesque, and the festival materials present the shorts as distinct pieces that blend together across the runtime. The opening story, A(E)liens, follows an alien goodwill ambassador who arrives on Earth in search of friends while navigating human suspicion. Voice actress Kana Ichinose is among the announced cast. Music sits close to the center of the project, with outlets reporting contributions from dozens of artists across technopop, city pop, rock, rap, and classical, plus an opening theme, "Shoot Shoot Shoot," by METALVERSE.

When and where to watch

Grotesqqque was originally lined up for a 2025 debut before its release was pushed back. Following the Fantasia world premiere, the film is scheduled to open in Japanese theaters on November 6, 2026, according to Anitrendz. There is no word yet on a broader international release or streaming plans, so the Montreal screening stands as the first chance for audiences outside Japan to see the finished film. For fans tracking new work from the Darling in the Franxx director, it is a rare early look at an ambitious, music forward original.