Bandai Namco Filmworks is actively expanding the Gundam franchise with a new television series and theatrical films, while also reviving the Patlabor and Votoms properties and producing the first Ghost in the Shell TV series by Science SARU. The studio is also managing a public apology for an unauthorized reference in a Sgt. Frog film.
Bandai Namco Filmworks is in a period of broad franchise expansion. The Gundam brand leads the way: the studio announced Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO, a new television series directed by Kenji Kamiyama and produced by SOLA ANIMATION, set in a new timeline beginning in A.A. 45. The series is part of the RG Project, which also includes the game GUNDAM ROGUE ORBIT. The studio also distributed Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway's Flash: The Witch of Kirke, the second film in the Hathaway's Flash trilogy, which earned 2.7 billion yen at the Japanese box office and will stream on Prime Video starting August 31.
Beyond Gundam, the studio is reviving older properties. The Patlabor EZY project, which consists of eight episodes released as three theatrical films, saw its first film debut on May 15, 2026, with the second film following on August 14. The studio also announced a month-long Patlabor Enhancement Month campaign leading up to that release. Armored Trooper Votoms: Die Graue Hexe, a two-part theatrical film series with original creator Ryosuke Takahashi as supervising director, opens its first part on November 20, 2026. The Sunrise 50th Anniversary project, running from 2026 to 2028, includes six original 3DCG shorts and the Votoms film.
The studio is also handling new productions and a public misstep. Ghost in the Shell: The Ghost in the Shell, the first Ghost in the Shell TV series by Science SARU, streams on Prime Video in Japan from July 7. The studio issued an apology for including an unapproved Attack on Titan reference in a Sgt. Frog film, promising to tighten internal verification systems.
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Bandai Namco Filmworks will stream the anime Mobile Police Patlabor REBOOT on its official YouTube channel for 24 hours starting at 9 PM on August 11. The short film, directed by Yasuhiro Yoshiura and produced by Studio Khara, will also be available on U-NEXT from noon on August 14.
Bandai Namco Filmworks will run a special video, "UNICORN GUNDAM Statue - BEYOND POSSIBILITY -", at the life-size Unicorn Gundam statue in Odaiba from August 22 to August 31, the statue's final day of display. The 10-day finale event also includes related exhibitions, campaigns, and a scheduled lineup of nightly projections.
Bandai Namco Filmworks will distribute the theatrical anime Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway's Flash: The Witch of Kirke on Amazon Prime Video in Japan. Rental and purchase distribution starts August 17, and unlimited streaming begins August 31. The film is the second chapter of the Hathaway's Flash trilogy, following the 2021 first film. It is set in U.C. 0105, 12 years after Char's rebellion, and follows Hathaway Noah, leader of the anti-Earth Federation movement Mafty, as he prepares to attack the Adelaide conference. The story also centers on Kenneth Sleg of the Federation Forces, who plans to annihilate Mafty, and Gigi Andalusia, a girl with mysterious powers who departs for Hong Kong. The film was released in Japanese theaters on January 30 and has earned 2.7 billion yen at the box office, surpassing its predecessor. Kensho Ono voices Hathaway, Reina Ueda voices Gigi, and Junichi Suwabe voices Kenneth. Shukou Murase directs, Yasuyuki Muto writes the screenplay, and Hiroyuki Sawano composes the music. The opening theme is SZA's 'Snooze' and the ending theme is Guns N' Roses' 'Sweet Child O' Mine'. Prime Video also offers the first Hathaway's Flash film and Char's Counterattack.
Bandai Namco Filmworks announced a new Gundam television series, Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO, at San Diego Comic-Con on July 23, 2026. The series is directed by Kenji Kamiyama, known for Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, who also handles series composition. Animation production is by SOLA ANIMATION. The series is part of the RG Project, a multimedia initiative that also includes the action game GUNDAM ROGUE ORBIT. The anime is set in a new timeline separate from the Universal Century and Common Era, beginning in A.A. (After Apocalypse) 45. Humanity abandoned Earth after an alien ecosystem called the Apocalypse overran the planet. The protagonist, Ray Azumi, a war orphan, pilots the Gundam Zero. Takeo Otsuka voices Ray Azumi. The series is scheduled to launch in 2027. The anime takes place roughly 100 years before the events of the game. Kamiyama stated the project allowed him to create a Gundam from scratch in a new timeline.
Bandai Namco Filmworks announced a month-long promotional campaign for the Mobile Police Patlabor series, starting July 17. Highlights include a YouTube special with voice actors from the original and new series, daily releases of the TV anime, an AR photo contest, a stage greeting, a collaboration with Nadai Fuji Soba, a POPUP shop, and a re-release of the 2016 REBOOT on YouTube and U-NEXT. The campaign culminates with the theatrical release of Mobile Police Patlabor EZY File 2 on August 14.
Bandai Namco Filmworks will unveil the next anime project in the Gundam franchise during San Diego Comic-Con 2026. The announcement will take place at the "GUNDAM Showcase 2026 - Unveil the Next Gundam" panel on July 23 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. PT in Room 6BCF of the San Diego Convention Center. Special guests from Japan are expected to appear, and attendees will receive limited-edition novelty bags containing Gundam-themed merchandise while supplies last. A separate worldwide streaming program on GUNDAM CHANNEL INTL will air the same announcement on July 23 at 11:00 a.m. PT, followed by a broadcast on the official Gundam Channel YouTube account on July 24 at 3 a.m. JST. The new series is the latest in a franchise that recently expanded with Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe in theaters and the television series Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, which aired from April to June 2025. In addition to the anime reveal, the panel will provide updates on the franchise's broader direction, including international projects. The Gundam booth at SDCC will feature displays for the upcoming GUNDAM ROGUE ORBIT video game, Gunpla-building workshops, and photo opportunities with Gundam statues.
Bandai Namco Filmworks announced on July 6 that two mobile suits from the film "Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM" will appear as giant nebuta floats at the 2026 Aomori Nebuta Festival. The Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam and the Infinite Justice Gundam Type II, crafted by nebuta master Hiroo Fukushi, will serve as the front nebuta leading a parade group. The exhibition is the first installment of the Gundam Festival Project, an initiative that places Gundam IP into locally cherished festivals as a form of regional revitalization. A newly drawn event key visual shows characters Kira Yamato, Lacus Clyne, Athrun Zala, and Cagalli Yula Athha dressed in haneto dancer costumes. The parade will also distribute collaboration fans featuring that visual. The festival runs from August 2 to August 7, with a pre-festival display on August 1. A pop-up shop opens July 18 at the To-O Nippo Shinmachi Building, selling limited goods and tie-up products with local Aomori items like Stamina Gen Tare sauce, Gachirin apple juice, and Nanbu Senbei crackers. Additional collaborations include chocolate banana flavored English Toast bread and Polo Chocolat cake in limited packaging.
Bandai Namco Filmworks released the first full trailer and key visual for the fifth Girls und Panzer das Finale film, which opens in Japan on October 9. The film follows Ooarai's win in the semi-finals and their finals match against St. Gloriana Girls' College. The franchise also announced a television broadcast for the Motto Love Love Sakusen Desu! anime starting in October.
Bandai Namco Filmworks and Bandai Namco Pictures issued an apology for including an unapproved reference to Attack on Titan in the new Sgt. Frog movie. The rights holders had clearly stated their objections beforehand, but a communications breakdown within the companies allowed the reference to remain. The companies promised to tighten internal verification systems.
Bandai Namco Filmworks announced the Sunrise 50th Anniversary project, running from 2026 to 2028, to mark 50 years since the first Sunrise-branded work, Muteki Chōjin Zambot 3, in 2027. The project includes a key visual of 50 selected works and the Mirai e no Kōro short film project, which will produce six original 3DCG animated shorts in collaboration with other studios. The first two shorts, Dice with Demon and Metafear, were revealed, and the previously announced Armored Trooper Votoms: Die Graue Hexe is also part of the initiative.
Bandai Namco Filmworks announced on June 16 that the new TV anime Ghost in the Shell: The Ghost in the Shell will stream on Prime Video in Japan starting July 7 at 23:30 JST, with the fastest domestic unlimited viewing. The series will air on Kantele and Fuji TV's new anime slot Ka Anibar!! at 23:00 JST the same day. Overseas, the anime will stream exclusively on Prime Video in over 240 countries and regions, excluding mainland China, Russia, and Vietnam. A Prime Video-exclusive trailer was released alongside the announcement, showing Public Security Section 9 members led by Motoko Kusanagi and hinting at the mysterious hacker Puppeteer. The anime is produced by Science SARU, with Moko-chan directing in her debut role. Series composition and script are by Tow Ubukata, character design and chief animation direction by Shuhei Handa, and music by Taisei Iwasaki. The ending theme is "Blue" by MILLENNIUM PARADE, featuring Saya Gray and Daniel Caesar. A US premiere screening of episodes 1 and 2 will take place at Anime Expo 2026 on July 4, with a staff panel and autograph sessions.
Bandai Namco Filmworks released a new video for the Patlabor EZY anime project on Thursday, introducing the main characters of the Special Vehicles Division 2. The project consists of eight episodes released as three theatrical films. The first film, File 1, debuted on May 15, 2026, and contains the first two episodes in an omnibus format. File 2 follows on August 14, 2026, with episodes four through six, and File 3 arrives in March 2027 with the final two episodes as a two-part story. The story is set in the 2030s, where Labors have become commonplace and are increasingly replaced by autonomous robots. SV2 still uses a tuned-up version of the SV-98 Ingram. The cast includes Sumire Uesaka as Towa Kuga, Kikunosuke Toya as Kippei Atori, Ami Koshimizu as Saki Hirata, Chikahiro Kobayashi as Akihiko Hazama, Setsuji Sato as Yuta Yanai, Yume Matsumura as Hachikuma Yuzuki, and Megumi Hayashibara as Kimika Saeki. Shigeru Chiba reprises his role as Shigeo Shiba. Yutaka Izubuchi directs at J.C. Staff, with Kazunori Ito writing the script. Mori Calliope performs the opening theme, and Mariko Nagai performs the ending theme.
Bandai Namco Filmworks revealed the main trailer and visual for the sixth film in the Be Forever Yamato: Rebel 3199 series, titled Aoi Meikyū (Blue Labyrinth). The film opens June 26. The trailer shows the Yamato appearing in present-day Tokyo as the crew passes through a space-time node to 2026. The anime runs seven films total.
Bandai Namco Filmworks announced that Armored Trooper Votoms: Die Graue Hexe will reach Japanese theaters as a two-part film series. The first part opens on November 20, 2026. The date arrived with a new trailer and key visuals. Original Votoms creator Ryōsuke Takahashi returns as supervising director. Kenji Kawai, known for his work on Mobile Suit Gundam 00, is composing the score. Mechanical design duties go to Yoshihiro Sono, who worked on Votoms: AT Stories, and Shinobu Tsuneki, whose credits include Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These. The project was first revealed in January 2026. The second film does not yet have a date. Bandai Spirits and Megahouse, two Bandai Namco subsidiaries, will produce merchandise tied to the films. Bandai Spirits plans a High Grade model kit and a Hi-Metal R figure of the Scopedog in a desert color scheme. Megahouse will release 8cm model kits in its VA-KIT Platoon line. More merchandise details are expected at the 64th Shizuoka Hobby Show, which runs May 16 and 17 at Twin Messe Shizuoka.