Science Saru is producing a new hand-drawn Ghost in the Shell television adaptation that premieres on Prime Video on July 7, 2026, after a festival debut at Annecy in June.
Science Saru is adapting Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell as a television series, a project that marks the studio's most prominent franchise work to date. The series follows an episodic case-of-the-week structure drawn from the original manga, a deliberate departure from the 1995 film's compressed narrative. Director Toma "Mokochan" Kimura and producer Kohei Sakita presented the first two episodes at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2026, where the studio detailed its production approach.
The studio is using a hand-drawn pipeline, with CG reserved only for sequences that cannot be achieved in 2D, such as first-person-shooter-style camera movements. The series is set to premiere on Prime Video on July 7, 2026. Bandai Namco Filmworks and Kodansha are also attached to the production. A third promotional video released in May 2026 opened on Major Motoko Kusanagi and introduced other Shell Squad members, with on-screen text appearing in both Japanese and English. Earlier character-focused trailers had spotlighted Makoto, the Tachikoma robots, Batou, and Togusa.
The Annecy screening, titled "Dive into The Ghost in the Shell," included director Mokochan and producers Daichi Sasa, Kengo Abe, and Kohei Sakita as special guests. The festival debut before the domestic broadcast represents a coordinated global rollout for the series.
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Jun 22
At the Annecy Festival, Science Saru's director Toma "Mokochan" Kimura and producer Kohei Sakita, alongside Bandai Namco's Kengo Abe, presented the first two episodes of their upcoming Ghost in the Shell adaptation. The series, which premieres on Prime Video on July 7, follows an episodic case-of-the-week format more closely aligned with Masamune Shirow's original manga than the 1995 film. The team emphasized a hand-drawn production pipeline, with CG used only for elements impossible in 2D, such as first-person-shooter-style camera movements.
May 16
The new anime adaptation of Masamune's The Ghost in the Shell will begin its television run on July 7, 2026. Science SARU is producing the series, with Bandai Namco Filmworks and Kodansha also attached. The date arrived in a third promotional video that opens on Major Motoko Kusanagi and introduces other members of the Shell Squad. Many of the on-screen text slides in the trailer appear in both Japanese and English, though no official subtitles are present. Before the broadcast, the first two episodes will screen at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2026. The festival event, titled "Dive into The Ghost in the Shell," will include director Mokochan and producers Daichi Sasa, Kengo Abe, and Kohei Sakita as special guests. A specific time for the Annecy screening has not been posted on the festival's official page or programming site. The new key art was also released alongside the trailer. Earlier character-focused trailers had already spotlighted Makoto, the Tachikoma robots, Batou, and Togusa across separate months leading into this announcement.