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 4?C, 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.