With Sword Art Online Alicization completed, fans are looking forward to the anime adaptation to the upcoming Sword Art Online Progressive. However, according to Crunchyroll, the anime is happening, but in a different format.
According to Crunchyroll, it’s been revealed through the Japanese Twitter that the anime will instead be shown as an anime film. A trailer and visual image has been revealed and it shows that the film is called Sword Art Online Progressive the Movie: Aria of a Starless Night (also called Sword Art Online Progressive THE MOVIE: Hoshinaki Yoru no Aria). The movie will be released in 2021.
Progressive is a retelling of the first arc of Sword Art Online and the title of the movie is based on the first chapter of the novel made by creator Reki Kawahara. The film will be directed by Ayako Kawano, who worked on Love Live! Sunshine!!. A-1 Pictures will be returning to animate Progressive.
Synopsis based on the first volume of the novel:
‘There’s no way to beat this game. The only difference is when and where you die…’ One month has passed since Akihiko Kayaba’s deadly game began, and the body count continues to rise. Two thousand players are already dead. Kirito and Asuna are two very different people, but they both desire to fight alone. Nonetheless, they find themselves drawn together to face challenges from both within and without. Given that the entire virtual world they now live in has been created as a deathtrap, the surviving players of Sword Art Online are starting to get desperate, and desperation makes them dangerous to loners like Kirito and Asuna. As it becomes clear that solitude equals suicide, will the two be able to overcome their differences to find the strength to believe in each other, and in so doing survive? Sword Art Online: Progressive is a new version of the Sword Art Online tale that starts at the beginning of Kirito and Asuna’s epic adventure–on the very first level of the deadly world of Aincrad!
Are you ready to jump back into Aincrad?
source:
Matt-in-the-Hat 
Hmm…that’s unexpected that this is turning into a movie to be honest. But then again, a series might be a little bit too much as it would just be a longer version of what we have already seen. So maybe a movie is better😊
Yeah I agree. I haven’t read Progressive, but I would imagine it being an extensive story to tell. I wonder if they plan to make a movie series focusing on Progressive. Still, I am looking forward to seeing Aincrad again :).
I think a movie series would work. It probably will depend on how much of a succes the first film will be😊
That’s true. If it does well, we might get a movie series. I assume Progressive is a lengthy story. A lot has happened in Aincrad for Kirito and Asuna. 🙂
A movie has it advantages I guess.
I assume the movie is going to try and summarize the major points of Progressive.
Yes