Makoto Shinkai's animation masterpiece "Kimi no Na wa" is eyeing an Oscar nomination and is set to have a theatrical run in North America before the year ends.

According to Variety, the critically acclaimed Japanese box office hit film "Kimi no Na wa" is gearing for a North American release, and renowned American entertainment and anime licensing company FUNimation has acquired U.S. rights to the animation film.

As per Anime News Network, the hit anime film, also known as "Your Name.", is aiming for a qualification for next year's Academy Awards, or Oscars. In order to be considered for the prestigious awarding ceremony, a film is required to be shown in any theater in Los Angeles for at least a week.

FUNimation is also planning a digital release for the film, shortly after its North American theater run.

"Kimi no Na wa" is now the highest grossing anime film that is not made by renowned animation company Studio Ghibli, and is now considered at par with animation masterpieces under director Hayao Miyazaki like "The Wind Rises," "Spirited Away," Howl's Moving Castle," Princess Mononoke" and "Ponyo."

"Kimi no Na wa" retains its number one spot in Japanese box office for an impressive nine-week streak as of Oct. 24 despite already spending sixty days in theaters. The movie has also earned a qhopping 16.41 billion yen (about US$158 million), and has already surpassed the 15.5 billion yen record of Studio Ghibli's "Ponyo."

Incidentally, back in 2005, Shinkai was hailed as "The New Miyazaki" during an interview with Active Anime. The "Kimi no Na wa" director called the comparison an" overestimation,"being a self-confessed Miyazaki fan himself.

"I myself am very influenced by Hayao Miyazaki, but his works have an incomparable richness that is not the same 'animation' as my animation," Shinkai said during that time. "I certainly won't create such wonderful works in my future. However, I would like to deliver works that have a different place with audiences than the place of Hayao Miyazaki's films."

Stay tuned for more "Kimi no Na wa" news.