Fireworks type Movie

Producer Genki Kawamura had a tall order following up the $358 million global success of 2016’s Your Name, but he does so with flying colors (literally) in Fireworks, an expressionistic treat that paints an atmospheric portrait of the teenage spirit against the backdrop of its titular neon spectacular. “Fireworks has fascinating drawings. Each scene is a piece of art,” Kawamura tells EW of the film, which is co-directed by frequent Hayao Miyazaki collaborator Nobuyuki Takeuchi and follows a couple traveling through time to perfect their budding relationship. “I hope this film will show the [beauty in the] world that audiences wish to see.”

Fireworks is in theaters Tuesday, July 3. Watch the film’s new trailer above and check out EW’s full interview with Kawamura below.

Image zoom Toho/GKIDS

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: This film is based on a live-action film of the same name, correct? Why did you feel it was important to produce and adapt this specific story for the medium of animation?

I was a fan of Shunji Iwai, who wrote and directed the live-action TV series upon which the film is based. Through the experience of producing animated films such as Wolf Children and Your Name, I finally found a way to rebuild the world and the characters using the unique power animation holds.

How long did it take to make this project, from beginning to end?

It took us more than four years from the development to the film’s release. Developing the script, gathering the right members to make the perfect team, and adjusting the busy schedule of [director] Akiyuki Shimbô were some of the reasons that it took longer than usual animated film projects.

As you produced Your Name, you’re no stranger to crafting stories about teen romance with some sort of fantastical or supernatural element. Why does this type of story line endure across so many Japanese animated films, and how does Fireworks stand out from the rest enough to make people go see it?

As I also produce live-action films, it is incredibly brilliant and difficult at the same time to shoot young actors whose brands are not yet established. It is challenging to make it a commercial film. On the other hand, filmmakers will be able to decide how lively the characters want to be. I believe, from the time Mr. Hayao Miyazaki has made his legendary films, that the uniqueness and privilege of “animation” will be maximized when depicting youth. What makes Fireworks special is, indeed, the animation technique that Studio Shaft has, and the visionary direction from Mr. Shimbô. While Your Name has a strong storytelling, Fireworks has fascinating drawings. Each scene is a piece of art!

Was it difficult for you to approach following up the massive success of Your Name? Were you intimidated or anxious to produce your next animated feature with the monolithic weight of Your Name’s cultural impact riding on your shoulders, and how did you overcome that if so?

Actually, this project had started before Your Name had begun! My motto of filmmaking is to create brand new work every time, so it was not a pressure at all. I think what the audience anticipates changes on a daily basis as well.

This film was also a hit in Japan, so it must be tapping into something in Japanese culture that makes people want to see it. What do you think that element of desire is for people who are seeing the film in Japan, and how do you think American audiences will respond to it when they finally see it here?

“If I could go back to that day…” is [a wish] I believe everyone on earth has once thought about. It is such a universal feeling that watching an adventure of a boy who gained that ability will make anyone excited. I don’t make films only for a specific market. On the contrary, I think I am looking for the “mood” which will appeal to people all over the world.

Image zoom GKIDS

Japan has a great legacy of producing animated films from a wide range of filmmakers, and I’m wondering if it’s often intimidating to live up to the country’s standard of quality animation films when producing a new one. I’d also like to know why you think this film in particular is a great animated film in itself.

Everyday, new technologies are introduced to people in the industry, and new creators are born, such as Mamoru Hosoda and Makoto Shinkai, whom I’ve worked with. The legends such as Hayao Miyazaki and Mamoru Oshii are of course superb, but I want to pass down their legacy, mutate, and create a new form.

I think a lot of our readers are curious about the process of directing a Japanese animation film. Can you talk a little bit about the dynamics of creating the look and feel for the film’s animation and how the film’s aesthetic complements the story?

Studio Shaft and director Shimbô are extremely talented in terms of artistic depiction. It blends very well with the film’s question theme of “If,” and the story itself is enjoyable by watching young boy and girl eloping. The world beyond their elopement is queer and ominous, which I believe was only possible to depict by Mr. Takeuchi, who is talented enough to have worked with Hayao Miyazaki in the past.

What do you hope audiences around the world take away from the film? What is the message you hope it communicates, and why is that message so important to you?

I hope this film will show the [beauty in the] world that audiences wish to see… It is also wonderful that people will see the uniqueness of Japanese animation and the art this film holds. I want people to feel the catharsis by witnessing [the quality of our artistic] depiction surpass storytelling.