Japan’s Studio4℃, which is best known for acclaimed titles such a Poupelle of Chimney Town and Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko, has announced its latest project. It’s a mermaid-themed movie titled ChaO, which is directed by Yasuhiro Aoki (Batman: Gotham Knight, Fluximation). According to the studio, the movie is set in “a future society where humans and mermaids coexist.” In the whimsical original story, office worker Stephen is suddenly asked to marry by Chao, a princess of the mermaid kingdom “This is a 100% pure love story!” declares Studio4℃’s X (formerly Twitter) feed.
Hirokazu Kojima provides the character designs and serves as animation director, while Hiroshi Takiguchi serves as art director. Toei will distribute the film in Japan in the summer of 2025.
Studio 4°C Co was founded by Eiko Tanaka and Koji Morimoto in 1986. (The name comes from the temperature at which water is most dense. Mind Game, Tekkonkinkreet, Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox and Children of the Sea are among the studio’s other well-known features. The studio has also produced a wide range of TV shows and OVA’s, including Macross 7, Transformers: Animated, ThunderCats, Phoenix: Eden17, The Animatrix, Batman: Gotham Knight, Street Fighter IV, Halo Legends and Green Lantern: Emerald Knights.

Source: Studio 4°C, Crunchyroll