Animation World News is reporting that old school anime powerhouse Toei Animation has unveiled an ambitious slate of animated movies, all of which are based on strong, proven properties, at the company's May 19th financial presentation.  The first film to be released will be Clannad, which is based on a popular visual novel/dating sim with an abused teenage loner protagonist who is surrounded by a bevy of beautiful girls and is due out on September 15th.  Osamu Dezaki, the director of the original Rose of Versailles anime (see below), helmed the Clannad anime feature.

In November Toei is planning to debut Yes! Precure 5, a film based on the popular Pretty Cure magical girl fighting series.  The Pretty Cure anime is the biggest magical girl series in Japan since Sailor Moon.  The TV anime Yes! Precure 5, which began airing on Japanese television in February, is the fourth Pretty Cure anime to air in Japan, a good indication of the property's popularity.  4Kids has licensed the Pretty Cure anime series for North America (see '4Kids Licenses Pretty Cure Anime'), but so far 4Kids has not aired any episodes. 

4Kids also licensed One Piece, another Toei property that is a 'monster' in Japan (4Kids' license for One Piece recently went to FUNimation, see 'One Piece on Cartoon Network').  In Japan, where it is arguably the most popular anime/manga property, the ongoing One Piece anime has reached 310 episodes and Toei plans to release the ninth One Piece movie in Japan next February.

Toei also announced two anime movie projects in development including a remake of Rose of Versailles, a saga set during the French Revolution that is one of the best known shojo manga and anime properties in Japan and Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro a popular property based on a vintage manga series (1959-1969) by Shigeru Mizuki about the yokai, mischievous spirit monsters from the Japanese folklore tradition.  This popular property has spawned five TV anime series with a total of more than 330 episodes.