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.
The film premiered in Japan in January 2026 and grossed over 2.7 billion yen nationally, outperforming the first film's 2.23 billion yen. The review notes the movie successfully replicates Yoshiyuki Tomino's storytelling style but struggles with pacing in its first two-thirds.
Bandai will release a reprint of the Original SD Gundam Snack at candy counters nationwide from May 25. The set includes 32 square stickers reproducing the 1988 toy line's package illustrations, five of which are holographic. One holographic sticker features a newly drawn Hi-ν Gundam by Koji Yokoi.
During the Gundam Conference Spring 2026 livestream on Friday, the franchise announced a slate of projects leading up to its 50th anniversary in 2029. The stream debuted "A Boy With Gundam," a prologue short directed by Tsukuro Hayakawa that follows three generations of fans and features music from PEOPLE 1. A new event called Gundam-Con will take place at Makuhari Messe in Chiba from January 9 to 11, 2027, with paid entry passes distributed via lottery. The event will include booths, tournaments, merchandise, and music, with plans to expand to other regions after the Japan run. The unofficial Japan Anniversary Association has designated April 7 as Gundam Day starting in 2027, marking the premiere date of the original 1979 series. The life-size Unicorn Gundam statue in Odaiba will be removed at the end of August 2026 after receiving updated decals. Additional projects include a remaster of the first television series, a facility called the Gundam Landmark Project, and an expanded collaboration with Hololive Productions featuring Hololive English members. The Tokyo National Museum also plans a 2029 exhibition on creator Yoshiyuki Tomino.
Niche Gamer advises that newcomers to Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe do not need to watch every Gundam series, but should watch Char's Counterattack and the original Hathaway's Flash film first. The guide provides a minimal watch order for the Universal Century timeline.
Bandai Namco and Cover revealed new art and details for the Gundam x Hololive crossover at the Spring 2026 Gundam Conference. Phase 1 talents Houshou Marine, Rindo Chihaya, Shirakami Fubuki, Hoshimachi Suisei, Hakui Koyori, and Sakura Miko appear in pilot suits and chibi armor. Phase 2 adds English branch members Calliope Mori and IRyS alongside Oozora Subaru, Todoroki Hajime, Tsunomaki Watame, and Usada Pekora. Merchandise plans remain unannounced.
Bandai Namco Filmworks board director and producer Naohiro Ogata announced during the Gundam Conference Spring 2026 livestream on May 15 that the Mobile Suit Gundam Wing franchise is getting a new visual project. The announcement came during a segment where host Hisanori Yoshida noted that a visual project could range from a 10-second clip to a two-hour film or a 50-episode series. Ogata responded that he cannot yet say what the format is, but that it is definitely something long. The Japanese term used in the announcement, "eizō," is an umbrella term covering event shorts, home video releases, theatrical films, and television series. The franchise celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, which included a promotional video screened at San Diego Comic-Con International and a 4K theatrical run of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz in the United States. A new manga, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing 0.5 Point Half Preventer-7, launched in August, bridging the gap between Endless Waltz and the Frozen Teardrop sequel novels. The manga is drawn by Sakura Asagi and written by original series writer Katsuyuki Sumisawa.
Bandai Namco announced GUNDAM-Con, a fan-focused celebration event for the Gundam series' 50th anniversary, to be held at Makuhari Messe from January 9 to 11, 2027. The event will feature creator participation, exhibitions, and world championships for plastic models, cards, and games, with plans to expand to locations worldwide.
Bandai Namco Filmworks board director and producer Naohiro Ogata announced on Friday that Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Freedom Zero will screen in theaters. The announcement came during the Gundam Conference Spring 2026 livestream. Freedom Zero is a prequel to the 2024 film Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Freedom. Director Mitsuo Fukuda, producer Hisakazu Naka, and voice actor Sōichirō Hoshi first revealed the project at a stage greeting in November 2024, when a teaser video played during special edition screenings of the main film. Fukuda stated at that time that the script was completed 20 years ago, that storyboards were nearly half finished, and that dialogue recording was already done. The prequel was originally planned as an original video anime two decades ago. The new theatrical path was not yet decided when the project was first teased. A fresh teaser trailer accompanied the Friday announcement. The 2024 Freedom film opened at number one in Japan, sold over 634,000 tickets in its first three days, and became the highest-earning Gundam film in the country.
Bandai Namco and Sunrise released a nearly six-minute animated short on Thursday as the opening piece of the Gundam 50th Anniversary Project. The video, titled A Boy with Gundam, debuted during the Conference Spring 2026 presentation and is available on the official English and Japanese Gundam channels. It is set in the real world and follows a grandfather who, while visiting a life-size moving Gundam statue with his family, recalls how the original Mobile Suit Gundam shaped his life from childhood onward. Amuro Ray and other pilots appear in flashback sequences, and the short closes with a montage of franchise references. The song Kinjito by the group PEOPLE 1 plays over the footage, and the English upload carries subtitles for the lyrics. Tsukuro Hayakawa directed, storyboarded, and handled CG direction. Shinya Watada served as unit director. Juri Toida designed the animation characters, and Bandai Namco Studios' Yasuto Morioka provided the original character designs. The actual 50th anniversary arrives in 2029, and Bandai Namco is assembling a slate of projects under the Road to 50 banner ahead of that date.
Director Shūkō Murase says the second Gundam Hathaway film, The Sorcery of Nymph Circe, required five years of production. The team used CG for lighting and layouts more aggressively than in the first film, mixing 2D and 3D in nearly every frame. Murase wanted more realistic light sources, which forced every department to coordinate around a shared lighting plan. The film opened in Japan in January to strong reviews and box office, and it reaches U.S. theaters on May 15.