One Piece Red producer Shinji Shimizu was interviewed by Comicbook.com back at Anime Expo. There, he shared some interesting info about the movie’s production. When asked about what makes Film: Red unique from the other One Piece movies, Shimizu said that the biggest difference is that creator Eiichiro Oda wanted to have a new female character as the main star. While One Piece has lots of iconic female characters, Uta is a bit different given how big her role is in this movie and the world of One Piece in general. Aside from being a canon character, Uta is also the daughter of Shanks. Uta is also significant as she has two voice actors – Kaori Nazuka and Ado as her speaking and singing voices, respectively. The movie features lots of songs by Ado, and it has even been described as a concert-like experience. Another interesting tidbit about the movie that Shimizu shared is the original pitch for Film: Red. As the franchise is now 25 years old, the average age of fans has gone up. Though to celebrate the series’ 25th anniversary, they wanted to make a movie that will not only satisfy long-time fans but also give younger audiences a chance to connect with the series more. One Piece Film: Red is the fifteenth feature film in the franchise, and it follows Luffy and the Strat Hat crew as they attend the concert of Uta. She is the world’s most popular singer, but unbeknownst to pretty much everyone, Uta is the daughter of Red-Hair Shanks. The movie premiered in Japanese cinemas on August 6, 2022, and it quickly became one of the top-earning films in the country. Aside from getting the second-best opening weekend in Japan, the film has also become the top-earning One Piece movie. The film is set to release outside Japan soon, including in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Ireland, and more in Fall 2022.
