Shūkō Murase on the Five-Year Hybrid Production of Gundam Hathaway's Second Film
Murase's account of the five-year hybrid production cycle reveals how the team deliberately shifted from hand-drawn layouts to CG-based layouts to achieve more realistic lighting, marking a technical departure from the first film.
Reporting from 1 sources: Cartoon Brew.
Director Shūkō Murase discusses the five-year production of Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe, detailing how the film integrated CG and 2D animation with a new approach to lighting and layout. The film opened in Japan on January 30 and releases in U.S. theaters on May 15, 2026.
Shūkō Murase, director of the second Gundam Hathaway film, told Cartoon Brew that the five-year production was driven by a decision to bring CG into the layout stage earlier than in the first film. In the first film, most layouts were done by hand. For The Sorcery of Nymph Circe, Murase wanted more realistic lighting, which required specifying light sources across every department-a process he said CG made possible. The art department, including art director Kin'ichi Ôkubo, worked to ensure the 2D art was not outdone by the CG. Murase noted that while some artists still prefer hand-drawn character guides, the film uses 3D guides for layouts. The film opened in Japan on January 30 and arrives in U.S. theaters on May 15.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.