Released on Christmas Day in 2020, the animated film “Poupelle of Chimney Town” told the story of a young chimney sweep and his best friend, a man built from chunks of garbage, and their quest to free the titular chimney town from the choking smoke that obscured its skies.
Based on a picture book by Akihiro Nishino, who also penned the screenplay, “Poupelle” became a sleeper hit, making more at the box office in 2021 than films from well-known anime franchises like “Pokemon” and “Mobile Suit Gundam.”
Now the team behind that film, including Nishino, director Yusuke Hirota and production house Studio 4ºC, are back for a sequel, “Chimney Town: Frozen in Time,” which hits Japanese theaters March 27 after debuting at the Berlin International Film Festival in February.