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Poupelle of Chimney Town Sequel Film's Video Reveals Title, Spring 2026 Debut

The official website for Studio 4°C's anime film adaptation of his Poupelle of Chimney Town (Entotsu-chō no Poupelle) picture book revealed details of the film's planned sequel on Tuesday. The sequel film, titled Entotsu-chō no Poupelle ~Yakusoku no Tokeidai~ (The Promised Clock Tower), will open in spring 2026. The site unveiled a "special video" to announce the film's details, as well as an illustration for the film by Nishino.

The film will be based on Nishino's Tick-Tock ~Yakusoku no Tokeidai~ picture book, which released in 2019.

As before, Nishino will supervise the film's production, and pen the film's script, with Yusuke Hirota returning as director at Studio 4°C.

At a panel in Anime NYC in 2023, Nishino stated that the sequel would be very different from the first movie, with the plot revolving around a town with a clock tower stopped at 11:59. There is a conflict in the town between the people protecting the tower and the people hoping to fix it. In contrast to the first film's theme, which Nishino said was "Let's go, get this," he said the second film's theme would be the opposite, "wait patently."

ANN spoke with Nishino and director Yusuke Hirota shortly after the announcement of the sequel at the Animation is Film Festival in late October 2021. The duo confirmed the idea of other films in the future of the Poupelle franchise at the time.

Eleven Arts began screening Poupelle of Chimney Town across North America in January 2022, and it describes the film:

Poupelle of Chimney Town is the story of young Lubicchi living among the thick smoke from the chimneys of his isolated town, yearning to see the “stars” —to know the truth —his father always told him about. One Halloween night he meets Poupelle, a man made of garbage, and together they look to the sky as their adventure begins. Spectacularly beautiful, filled with inspiring performances and splendid music and sound effects, and produced at Tokyo's famed Studio 4ºC, Poupelle of Chimney Town brings laughter, tears and joy.

The film opened in Japan in December 2020 and ranked at #4 and earned 322,998,700 (about US$3.13 million) in its opening weekend.

Hirota (CGI director for Berserk films, Harmony) directed the film, with Nishino serving as production supervisor, original creator, and writer. Atsuko Fukushima (Genius Party, Robot Carnival) designed the characters.

Sources: Poupelle of Chimney Town film's website, Comic Natalie