New Evangelion Anime Series – Everything We About the Next Genesis

Thirty years have passed since Neon Genesis Evangelion came along and broke all the rules for Mecha Anime and redefined what the genre could be. And yet, here we are. It’s coming back as a brand new Evangelion Anime series. The problem is that the people making it are not exactly who we would have expected.

The announcement came on February 23rd, 2026, on the final day of the Evangelion:30+ festival. The festival was a massive event that took place at Yokohama Arena to celebrate 30 years of the franchise. Most people thought it was over. The Rebuild movies had effectively concluded it, and Thrice Upon a Time had effectively said its goodbyes. So, it came as a bit of a shock to many people when it was announced and understandably so.

What Was Announced?

The new series is being produced by Studio Khara and CloverWorks. It’s said to be a completely new series and not a continuation of anything that came before. That is a distinction greater than it might seem. It is not a sequel to Thrice Upon a Time. It’s not a remake of the old series. Whatever this new series turns out to be, it is being made from scratch. The possibilities are endless. 

The interesting thing is that the official Eva website has already confirmed that production has begun. It’s also being teased under the banner of “Next Genesis.” It’s difficult to say what this phrase might be meant to signal. If it means anything at all, it suggests that the new series is not just trying to continue the legacy of Evangelion.

The Creative Team

Yoko Taro for Series Composition and Script

Series composition and screenplays for the series will be handled by Yoko Taro, and if you’re familiar with him or his work, then you know exactly why this announcement has sent the internet into a bit of a spin. The man behind NieR Automata, a game about androids searching for meaning in a dying world, has now announced he’s working on the Evangelion franchise. The similarities between both works are obvious, and I think it’s safe to say that the potential for something hauntingly beautiful is quite real.

What makes all of this even more interesting is that Yoko Taro has openly talked about how his NieR series was inspired by the works of Evangelion, stating that “NieR Automata is pretty much just a retelling of Evangelion.” So we’re not talking about some sort of strange crossover here. We’re talking about a man returning to something that has inspired all of his works up until now. In a way, it feels less like an announcement and more like something that was always going to happen eventually.

Toko Yatabe & Kazuya Tsurumaki as Directors

Kazuya Tsurumaki is also coming in with his experience in the Rebuild of Evangelion films and Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, while Toko Yatabe’s coming in with her experience as an assistant director in Thrice Upon a Time, in addition to her experience as storyboarder and episode director in Chainsaw Man.

It’s an interesting pairing because Tsurumaki understands the franchise both visually and thematically in a way that very few people do. Yatabe does something else though. Just her experience in Chainsaw Man alone suggests the kind of modern sensibility that’s coming in here, and that contrast between the two directors is probably going to be one of the more interesting things to watch as this thing develops.

Keiichi Okabe for Music

The music will be provided by Keiichi Okabe, who most people will recognize from his work on the NieR series, although he has also worked on Nisemonogatari and Yuki Yuna is a Hero. It should be mentioned at this point that both Okabe and Taro have been working together for quite some time now, and the NieR series has a reputation for hitting people emotionally in more ways than one. It is also worth mentioning that this experience might be a somewhat frightening one, depending on how you feel about it.

Studio Khara and CloverWorks for Production

Animation is being handled by CloverWorks, the same studio behind Spy X Family, as well as Studio Khara, which most fans of the Eva series will recognize as the studio founded by Hideaki Anno, specifically to produce the Rebuild movies. This is a big deal because it ensures there will be a certain continuity in terms of visuals that has been built up over the years. CloverWorks has a proven track record in a variety of different genres. Honestly, there doesn’t seem to be a weak link in this team.

Release Date Announcement

As of now, there has been no announced date, and to be honest, it’s not really surprising. What we do know is that it’s in production and a teaser has been released. With the actual production process of anime, it’s unlikely to be released in 2026, especially if it’s still in the early stages. That’s all we know about it. That being said, with the kind of attention it has already generated, the enthusiasm for this series is very, very real.

The Asuka Short Film

Along with the announcement of the series, a brand new short film was also revealed, which debuted at the festival. This short film was written and supervised by Anno himself, with Naoyuki Asano handling the direction, and it takes place in a parallel universe where Asuka is the main character. This is something that people have been waiting for for a long time, and from the sound of it, it seems like this short film does exactly that. There is no word on its release just yet. 

Conclusion

It’s probably a good idea to take a step back for a moment. The original Evangelion series was already complete. Thrice Upon a Time came out in 2021, made over 10 billion yen, and was a farewell from Hideaki Anno. Shinji Ikari got the closure he’s been waiting for, and he was waiting for 25 years. The audience was satisfied and then, there was the announcement.

It’s probably a good thing that this new series is being given to new minds instead of Hideaki Anno. This isn’t a cash grab off a successful conclusion. But a series from people who love it and can take it to a place it’s never been before. This is a gamble that can only pay off if everything else works perfectly. And based on what’s been announced so far, it’s looking like the conditions might actually be there.

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