Yuri on Ice was supposed to receive a movie. This project was announced years ago, but now the animation studio has dropped the project, much to the dissatisfaction of fans.
The Yuri on Ice fandom is in shambles. In 2017, MAPPA announced that they were working on a movie, Yuri on Ice: Ice Adolescence. The original series became an instant hit and was the first well-known anime by MAPPA, who have since moved on to become one of the biggest and most well-known animation studios in the world.
On April 19, 2024, MAPPA revealed that the movie had been put on ice and will not actually happen anymore. This has left the entire fandom in shock.
Yuri on Ice Movie Canceled Due To "Various Circumstances"
On the official Yuri on Ice: Ice Adolescence website, a statement has been posted in both English and Japanese, stating that the project has been canceled. Unfortunately, not a lot of information is given, leaving most to only guess what reasons there could have been.
We deeply apologize for not being able to meet the expectations of all those who have been waiting and have continued to support us throughout these years. The production committee and staff have been in constant discussions to create and to deliver the movie, but due to various circumstances, we have had to make the difficult decision to stop the production.
i will never understand how mappa fumbled one of the biggest mega hit they ever produced pic.twitter.com/IKLRoscS8s
— gobo (@goboee) April 19, 2024
Fans have expressed their frustration and anger on social media, with many pointing out that Yuri on Ice , and its large fandom, has helped build MAPPA into the studio it is today. Some pointed out that the show, to date, is the studio's most successful, with more first week sales than any other project MAPPA has worked on.
Some fans have also tried to call in the big guns, with some asking Netflix to take over the project so that fans can at least get something... and all this happened because Duolingo (yes that terrifying green bird app) posted a picture not too long ago stating that "this is the closest we'll get to a Yuri on Ice movie" with a picture of Duo photoshopped onto the Yuri on Ice characters.
this is the closest we'll get to a yuri on ice movie#DuolingoOnIce #YuriOnIce https://t.co/hsACnreJS5 pic.twitter.com/weCNKqpriW
— Duolingo (@duolingo) April 2, 2024