Production
In July 2014, Kyoto Animation updated the website of the 2013 anime television series Beyond the Boundary to reveal an anime film for the series.[7] The project was originally planned to be produced as an anime series, but the enthusiasm of the staff had led the change of its format into a film.[8] Director Taichi Ishidate stated:
"After the last episode, I was burnt out in my own way (laughs), but I was told, 'There are more things you want to say and do'. Everyone on the staff had worked so hard that it would have been a waste if it were only on TV, and I had put my own various messages and feelings into the production, so we all thought that we could make a movie version that would be enjoyed by a wider audience.[8]"
In November 2014, the full title was announced as Beyond the Boundary: The Movie – I'll Be Here (劇場版 境界の彼方 -I'LL BE HERE-) and the film was revealed to be split into two parts, subtitled Past (過去篇) and Future (未来篇). Past would center on Mirai Kuriyama as it retells the events depicted in the anime series and Future was described as a "brand-new work" taking place one year after the events of the series.[9] The staff working on the films at Kyoto Animation were also announced, including Ishidate as the director, Jukki Hanada as the screenwriter, and Miku Kadowaki as the character designer.[9] Risa Taneda, Kenn, Minori Chihara, and Tatsuhisa Suzuki were set to reprise their roles from the anime series.[9]
Additional staff were revealed in February 2015, including Mikiko Watanabe as the art director, Kana Miyata as the color designer, and Ryūta Nakagami as the cinematographer.[10] The returning cast were also revealed, including Ayako Kawasumi, Masaya Matsukaze, Akeno Watanabe, Naomi Shindō, Yuri Yamaoka, and Moe Toyota.[11] In March 2015, Taneda confirmed that all the lines in Past were re-recorded despite it being a compilation film. Additionally, Watanabe was revealed to be solely voicing Beyond the Boundary in Past, which was previously voiced by all the cast in the anime series.[12]
In September 2015, Sentai Filmworks revealed Krystal LaPorte as the English dub actress for Kuriyama,[13] followed by the full cast that month.[14] However, LaPorte revealed in her Twitter account in August 2016 that she was fired and banned by Sentai in February without an explanation.[15] Following the licensing of the films by Sentai in March 2017,[16] Kira Vincent-Davis has replaced LaPorte as the voice actress for Kuriyama.[17][18]
