Netflix to Stream 3rd Mononoke Film Globally on September 29

The Mononoke franchise is set to continue its journey on Netflix with the global streaming of the third film in the trilogy. Mononoke The Movie: Chapter III - The Curse of the Serpent, the third installment, will be available on the platform on September 29.

The Mononoke franchise's film trilogy is based on the television series of the same name. The first film, Mononoke The Movie: Phantom in the Rain, premiered in Japan in July 2024, while the second film, Mononoke the Movie Trilogy: Chapter 2: The Ashes of Rage, opened in Japan in March 2025. Netflix is currently streaming the first two films.

The third film in the trilogy has been surrounded by controversy, particularly regarding the casting of the Medicine Seller character. Initially, voice actor Takahiro Sakurai was set to reprise the role, but he was replaced by Hiroshi Kamiya due to personal reasons. The Weekly Bunshun tabloid newspaper reported that Sakurai had been engaged in an extramarital affair for at least 10 years, which led to his replacement.

Twin Engine, the production company behind the film, stated that they decided to change the cast of the Medicine Seller from the standpoint of the story. However, the staff did not announce the change before the third film was released, which caused controversy among fans. Some supported the decision, while others were against it.

Oricon confirmed that the third film featured Sakurai as the original Medicine Seller character in a cameo role. The film's planning producer, Kōji Yamamoto, later apologized for the way the information about the casting change was handled and announced his retirement from producing.

The Mononoke franchise will continue with a new project featuring a third Medicine Seller, Ken no Tsurugi. Actor Hirofumi Araki, who starred as the Medicine Seller in the recent Mononoke stage plays, will voice the new character.

The Mononoke franchise has inspired two previous stage plays in 2023 and 2024, as well as a prequel stage play with an original story. All three stage plays were directed by Jun Yoriko and starred Hirofumi Araki.

### The Mononoke Film Trilogy

| Film | Release Date (Japan) | | --- | --- | | Mononoke The Movie: Phantom in the Rain | July 2024 | | Mononoke the Movie Trilogy: Chapter 2: The Ashes of Rage | March 2025 | | Mononoke The Movie: Chapter III - The Curse of the Serpent | September 29 (global streaming) |

### The Mononoke Stage Plays

| Stage Play | Release Dates | | --- | --- | | Mononoke Stage Play 2023 | 2023 | | Mononoke Stage Play 2024 | 2024 | | Mononoke Prequel Stage Play | May 14-17 |