Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures will open the second Tensura theatrical film, Tears of the Azure Sea, in US and Canadian cinemas on May 1 with both subtitled and English-dubbed showings.
Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment will release That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure Sea in US and Canadian theaters on May 1, 2026. The second theatrical outing for the Tensura franchise will screen in both Japanese with English subtitles and in an English dub, serving as a narrative bridge between the third and fourth TV seasons.
Tears of the Azure Sea is an original story supervised by series author Fuse, set after the events of the TV anime and before the upcoming fourth season. Rimuru and the residents of Tempest travel to the seaside kingdom of Raja, where a centuries-old secret connected to the ocean disrupts an otherwise quiet diplomatic visit. Eight Bit, the studio behind every Tensura season to date, is returning to animate, with Atsushi Nakayama directing.
This is the second Tensura feature after 2022's Scarlet Bond, which grossed roughly US$25 million worldwide and proved the franchise could anchor a theatrical window outside Japan. Tears of the Azure Sea opened in Japanese cinemas earlier this year and has already cleared the domestic bar set by its predecessor.
Crunchyroll confirmed the English dub roster ahead of the North American launch. The core cast reprises familiar roles: Brittney Karbowski as Rimuru Tempest, Kara Edwards as Great Sage/Raphael, and the established Tempest ensemble returning across Benimaru, Shuna, Shion, Souei, Hakurou, and Diablo. New characters introduced for the film including the royal family of Raja and a rival faction tied to the ocean mystery have been cast with additional voice talent announced alongside the theatrical booking.
The dub was produced at Sound Cadence Studios, the same house that has handled the TV series' English adaptation, which should keep performances and line readings consistent for longtime viewers stepping into the theater.
Sony Pictures Entertainment is handling distribution in partnership with Crunchyroll, a pairing the two companies have used for previous Crunchyroll theatrical releases since the Sony acquisition. Tickets go on sale in the weeks leading up to the May 1 opening, with both subtitled and dubbed screenings scheduled daily at most participating chains. Premium large-format showings are expected at select locations, though no IMAX booking has been announced.
The film runs roughly two hours and carries a PG-13-equivalent rating for fantasy action violence.
A theatrical release for India has not been announced. Scarlet Bond bypassed Indian cinemas in 2023 and eventually landed on Crunchyroll's streaming catalogue, and the same pattern is the most likely path here Indian viewers can expect Tears of the Azure Sea to arrive on Crunchyroll after its international theatrical run concludes, though no streaming date has been set.
For fans who want to catch up before the film, the first three TV seasons and Scarlet Bond are all currently streaming on Crunchyroll in India. Season 4 is slated to premiere later in 2026, picking up threads the movie leaves in place.
With a confirmed date, a locked dub cast, and a distribution partner that has shipped every other major Crunchyroll theatrical this year, Tears of the Azure Sea is one of the spring's cleaner anime theatrical launches in North America.
Weekly updates on the latest releases and announcements.
