Sony Pictures says anime, gaming to drive next IP wave

Sony Pictures Television Sees Anime and Gaming as Future IP

Sony Pictures Television Chairman Keith Le Goy announced at MIPCOM that anime and video games will drive the next wave of entertainment intellectual property, signaling a major shift away from the Marvel and DC comic book dominance that has defined Hollywood for the past two decades.imdb

Speaking at the Cannes television trade show on Monday, Le Goy declared that while “U.S. comic book IP of Marvel and DC [is] not going away, they don’t have the absolute pole position prominence that they had before”. He positioned Sony as uniquely equipped to capitalize on this transition through its ownership of anime streaming service Crunchyroll and PlayStation gaming division.variety

Record-Breaking Success Validates Sony’s Strategy

Le Goy’s comments coincide with the phenomenal success of “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle,” which just became the highest-grossing international film ever in U.S. box office history, earning $128.6 million domestically and surpassing the previous record held by “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”. The anime film has grossed over $648 million worldwide, making it the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2025.animenewsnetwork

“Two of the top five movies this year at the global box office – Minecraft and Demon Slayer – just shows the power of video games, anime and music that is really engaging and inspiring audiences,” Le Goy told the MIPCOM audience. Sony’s video game adaptations have also found success, with “The Last of Us” on HBO and “Twisted Metal” on Peacock both receiving critical acclaim and strong viewership.mediaplaynews

Entertainment Landscape Shift Accelerates

The timing of Sony’s proclamation reflects broader industry trends showing superhero fatigue among audiences. A recent survey found that 29% of U.S. anime viewers cited being “tired of sequels and remakes in Hollywood (like Star Wars, Marvel, DC)” as a reason for their viewing preferences. Meanwhile, Marvel’s 2025 releases have underperformed, with the average MCU film seeing domestic box office drops of 24.9% and global decreases of 44.9% compared to previous installments.thepopverse

Sony acquired Crunchyroll from AT&T for $1.175 billion in 2021, merging it with Funimation to create what Le Goy called “an incredibly successful” anime powerhouse. The combined platform now serves over 120 million registered users across more than 200 countries. Le Goy emphasized that Sony’s Japanese parent company is “1000%” eager to pursue further acquisitions in the space.variety