by Director Hideaki Anno (64) announced plans for the 50th anniversary of the anime Space Battleship Yamato at a screening held at Shinjuku Piccadilly in Tokyo on the 6th to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the broadcast of the anime. He said, “Simply put, I am now able to make a new Space Battleship Yamato,” and announced that he will begin production on a new movie based on Space Battleship Yamato. He is planning a new film, aiming to start production in 2025.
Anno explained that the production company Color, where he serves as president and CEO, has been granted the rights to produce a new anime film based on Space Battleship Yamato by Voyager Holdings, the company of Shoji Nishizaki, the adopted son of Yoshinobu Nishizaki, producer of Space Battleship Yamato, who passed away in November 2011. He also revealed that he had received permission to use the copyright from Tohokushinsha, the company that holds the copyright to Space Battleship Yamato. This day was the day that the first episode of the “Space Battleship Yamato” TV series, “SOS Earth!! Resurrect Space Battleship Yamato”, was broadcast on Nippon Television in 1974 (Showa 49).
At the screening, precisely 50 years later, at the same time as the TV broadcast started at 7:30 pm, a Phantom 8mm film version was screened, which contained a compilation of the TV series different from the theatrical version that was being shown for the first time in theaters. Director Anno told the familiar audience, “I wanted to tell the people who come here first.” He then showed enthusiasm, saying, “How many years does it take to make one film? There is a remake series that will be released separately. It takes time. I hope it doesn’t sink before it reaches the port… It will take up the rest of my life. I have to do this.” For Director Anno, this day was his first public appearance since Anno announced on July 31 that he would be hospitalized with a compound fracture of his left leg.
The director spoke with Izubuchi Yutaka (65), general director of Space Battleship Yamato 2199, which reconstructed the story of Space Battleship Yamato in 2012 and produced it with the latest technology, and anime and special effects researcher Hikawa Ryusuke (66). Khara Inc. has been granted the rights to produce a new anime film based on Space Battleship Yamato by Voyager Holdings Inc. (CEO Nishizaki Shoji) and has also received permission to use the copyright from Tohokushinsha Co., Ltd. We are planning a new theatrical film to start production in 2025 to contribute to further developing the Space Battleship Yamato series, which has a glorious history as a Japanese anime work, and to create a work that many fans can enjoy.
This new anime film will follow a different course from the remake series that began with Space Battleship Yamato 2199 in 2012 and continues with Yamato Forever REBEL 3199, the second chapter of which will be released in theaters on November 22, 2024. I pray for the safe voyage of the remake series, which is currently in production. If I had not encountered Space Battleship Yamato 50 years ago, I would not be who I am today. As I am involved with Yamato, I would like to spend the rest of my life creating as many interesting works as possible that mix new and old, with gratitude, respect, and gratitude for all the staff and cast of Yamato, and to leave Space Battleship Yamato for future generations. Thank you very much. Hideaki Anno, Representative Director, Khara Inc.
