All You Need Is Kill hits theaters on May 20, 2026. Directed by Kenichiro Akimoto and Yukinori Nakamura, this Japanese animated film adapts Hiroshi Sakurazaka's science fiction novel, best known for inspiring the live-action movie Edge of Tomorrow.
All You Need Is Kill
Film | 2025
In theatres: May 20, 2026
Action, animation, science fiction | Running time: 1h26
Directed by Kenichiro Akimoto, Yukinori Nakamura | Screenplay: Yuichiro Kido
Starring Ai Mikami, Natsuki Hanae, Kana Hanazawa
Nationality: Japan
In a near-future Japan, the country is trying to rebuild after the emergence of a colossal alien bloom. When it erupts and unleashes deadly creatures, Rita dies in the chaos only to wake up at the start of the same day. Trapped in a time loop, she relives the battle over and over, until she crosses paths with Keiji, who is also caught in the cycle.
This new adaptation relocates the story within the realm of the Japanese animation, adopting a combat-centered approach, built around repetition and the idea of a survival replayed to the point of exhaustion. The film thus extends the universe created by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, in which science fiction provides the backdrop for a narrative engine rooted in death, learning, and the possibility of breaking the cycle.
Shown in 2025 at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, All You Need Is Kill fits into a wave of adaptations of Japanese science-fiction works and the return of a title already familiar to part of the audience thanks to its earlier incarnations.
All You Need Is Kill is pitched primarily at audiences drawn to Japanese animated films, science fiction narratives, time loops, and action stories set in an alien invasion scenario.
All You Need Is Kill trailer
To extend the in-theater experience, check out the cinema releases for the month of May, the films to watch right now, and our selection of this year's Japanese animated films.
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