Sony Launches Crunchyroll Storyworks to Adapt Anime Into Live Action

Sony Pictures Entertainment has launched Crunchyroll Storyworks, a new division of its anime business that will adapt stories from around the world into anime and turn Japanese anime into live-action productions. The unit will be led by Tohru Iokibe, a 25-year Sony veteran, Deadline reported. Cartoon Brew said Sony Pictures chairman and CEO Ravi Ahuja announced the division on Wednesday.

The announcement came at the Crunchyroll Anime Future Forum, an all-day conference held at the North Javits Center in Manhattan on the eve of New York Comic Con, according to Deadline. Cartoon Brew described Wednesday’s event as the first edition of the forum.

Storyworks will sit within Crunchyroll’s content group and aims to deliver greenlight-ready projects for HAYATE, Crunchyroll’s joint venture with Aniplex, both outlets reported. Crunchyroll said the division will work with Japanese creators to preserve and center the original creative vision of each property. Cartoon Brew reported that the initiative brings together Crunchyroll, Aniplex, Sony Pictures and Japanese creative partners.

Iokibe will report to Crunchyroll Chief Content Officer Asa Suehira. According to Deadline, Iokibe has recently led intellectual property initiatives connecting Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions. Suehira said in a statement that the new division will “build a creative bridge between Japan and storytellers around the world.” Iokibe said, “The best adaptations begin with respect for the original work, and it’s a privilege to help these exceptional stories reach even more fans around the world.”

Ahuja told the forum that Storyworks would amplify the “global force” of anime while paying homage to its Japanese roots. As anime grows, Ahuja said, “we have a responsibility to protect and amplify what makes it special while always keeping creators’ visions at the center,” he said, as quoted by Deadline. “That’s the goal of Storyworks.” Neither Deadline nor Cartoon Brew reported any specific titles in development.

The new division builds on Sony’s consolidation of its anime business. Sony closed its roughly $1.2 billion acquisition of Crunchyroll in 2021 and combined it with Funimation, and the streaming service passed 21 million subscribers earlier this year, both outlets reported. Cartoon Brew noted that Crunchyroll has since expanded across streaming, theatrical distribution, merchandise and events. Anime News Network added that Crunchyroll raised prices on all of its U.S. subscription tiers in February, after ending free ad-supported streaming on the service last December.

HAYATE, the venture that would take on Storyworks projects, was founded in March 2025 and is based in Tokyo, Anime News Network reported. It is led by chairman and CEO Masanori Miyake of Aniplex and president and COO Leo Watanabe, and in April it acquired anime studio Lay-duce as a wholly owned subsidiary, according to Anime News Network. For more on the business of Hollywood, visit our Studio page.

Verification: The launch, Iokibe’s role and reporting line, the forum details and the Ahuja, Suehira and Iokibe quotes come from Deadline (Dade Hayes, Oct. 7) and are confirmed by Cartoon Brew (Jamie Lang, Oct. 8). HAYATE background and Crunchyroll pricing changes come from Anime News Network (Alex Mateo, Oct. 7).