The end of the second season on television wasn’t a farewell, but the push for the franchise’s most ambitious leap. To the surprise of fans following their protagonists’ weekly evolution, Kadokawa officially confirmed that the acclaimed ice skating anime, Medalist, will continue its story on the big screen with its first sequel film.

The new cinematic installment will pick up exactly where the TV series concluded, bringing Inori Yuitsuka and her coach Tsukasa Akeuraji to compete on the stage of the anticipated Japan Rookie Championship. In the first promotional trailer accompanied by a new visual, the tension of the competition, the fierceness of rivals like the talented Hikaru Kamisaki with her coach Jun Yotaka, and the unbreakable bond between Inori and Tsukasa symbolized in their classic fist bump can be seen. The film is set to premiere in Japanese cinemas on February 19, with ticket pre-sales scheduled to begin in early September 2026.

The feature film will retain the same creative team that made the anime one of the most visually stunning sports series. Animation will continue under studio ENGI, with direction by Yasutaka Yamamoto, scripts by Jukki Hanada, character designs by Chinatsu Kameyama, and music composed by Yuki Hayashi. Additionally, the production will continue collaborating with real-life professional skaters, highlighting the choreography of former Olympian Akiko Suzuki alongside Yuhana Yokoi and Hinano Isobe, as well as the motion capture work of Rika Hongo to ensure hyperrealistic skating sequences.

About Medalist

Based on the acclaimed original manga written and illustrated by Tsurumaikada, Medalist began its publication in May 2020 and has become a true gem of the sports genre, winning prestigious awards such as the Shogakukan Manga Award in 2023 and the Kodansha Manga Award in 2024. The story follows Tsukasa Akeuraji, a former skater whose competitive dream was cut short by starting too late, and Inori Yuitsuka, a girl overlooked by her surroundings who desperately wants to skate. Together, they form an alliance driven by pure determination, seeking to rise from zero to the pinnacle of international figure skating.

With the intensity of the second season’s finale and the quality of the real choreographies on screen, do you think Medalist’s movie will successfully convey all the excitement of skating on the big screen?