Endless Scarlet Trailer & Stills Revealed

New trailer and stills unveiled

A 90-second trailer for director Mamoru Hosoda’s latest film, “Endless Scarlet,” was unveiled, along with 15 stills featuring characters played by a stellar cast of Japan’s leading actors.

The theme of this film is “life.” Director Hosoda stated, “I wanted to create a powerful, solid film that asks the question: What is the purpose of human life? I want to engage audiences in this momentous theme.” This film follows the protagonist, Princess Scarlett, who fails to avenge her father but returns to the Land of the Dead to seek revenge on her nemesis. Ashida voices the protagonist, Scarlett, while Masaki Okada plays Hijiri, a modern-day Japanese nurse who travels with her.

This film, a first for Hosoda, was produced using a recording method known as pre-scoring (pre-scoring). Pre-scoring involves recording the voices of the cast before the actual footage is even created, and then creating animation based on those voices.

The latest trailer begins with Princess Scarlett, traveling alone and in tatters through the Land of the Dead, and the shocking scene of Claudius (Hiroshi Yakusho) coldly executing Scarlett’s father, Amlet (Masachika Ichimura). Burning with a burning desire for revenge against Claudius, Scarlett is confronted by a Japanese nurse named Hijiri, who has somehow arrived from the modern world. Hijiri joins Scarlett on her journey, unsure of how she ended up in the Land of the Dead. Even as Claudius’s assassins repeatedly try to assassinate Scarlett, Hijiri continues to persuade Scarlett to stop fighting. No matter how dismissive Scarlett is, Hijiri speaks kind words to her, and Scarlett, who has lived her life solely on a desire for revenge, is shaken in the heart.

The 15 stills released at once capture Scarlett and Hijiri clashing, supporting each other, and trying to survive in the Land of the Dead; a grim-looking nemesis, Claudius; a smiling memory of Scarlett’s kind father, Amlet; and a cast of quirky characters, including Kotaro Yoshida’s Voltimand, Yuki Saito’s Gertrude, and Yutaka Matsushige’s Cornelius. Among them is a giant “dragon,” and it will be interesting to see what kind of entity it is and how it will interact with Scarlett and Hijiri.

“Endless Scarlet” will be released in Japan on November 21st and in US theaters on December 12th.

Toho Movie Channel

Channel Subscribers: 1.67 million

[Trailer 1] “Endless Scarlet” <Released November 21st (Friday)>

Exploring the Visual and Emotional Depth of Hosoda’s Latest Work

Mamoru Hosoda’s “Endless Scarlet” seems to blend his signature emotional storytelling with an even stronger emphasis on visual symbolism. The 90-second trailer offers glimpses of vibrant color palettes—particularly deep reds—that likely symbolize themes of passion, sacrifice, or the fleeting nature of time. The 15 still images highlight character expressions and subtle interactions, suggesting a narrative rich in emotional nuance rather than relying solely on action. Considering Hosoda’s past works like “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” and “Belle,” it’s possible “Endless Scarlet” will weave together fantastical elements with deeply personal human drama. The visual direction also hints that the color red might act as a recurring motif, guiding viewers through both the beauty and tragedy within the story.