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Sunrise

Sunrise's 50th anniversary project runs from 2026 to 2028 with six 3DCG shorts and the November 20 theatrical release of Armored Trooper Votoms: The Grey Witch. The studio is also preparing the Sunrise Channel paid membership tier and the Sunrise-Shaft series Fool Night, which debuts on Netflix on November 26.

Synthesized from 17 Yomimono stories · updated Sep 16

Sunrise's current activity centers on the 50th anniversary project announced in June 2026, a slate running from 2026 to 2028 that marks 50 years since the first Sunrise-branded work, Muteki Chojin Zambot 3, in 2027. The project includes a key visual of 50 selected works, the Mirai e no Koro short film project producing six original 3DCG shorts with other studios, and the Armored Trooper Votoms film The Grey Witch. Gundam's own 50th anniversary runs separately, with the prologue short A Boy with Gundam released in May 2026 ahead of the 2029 anniversary.

Two productions carry the studio's near-term release schedule. The Grey Witch, directed by Mamoru Oshii, opens nationwide on November 20, 2026, with a full main cast led by Shinichiro Miki and including Yuki Kaji, Yuichi Nakamura, Tomokazu Sugita, Takahiro Sakurai, and Sumire Uesaka. Fool Night, the Sunrise and Shaft adaptation of Kasumi Yasuda's manga, streams worldwide on Netflix starting November 26 with all episodes released at once, directed by Atsuyuki Yukawa.

The back catalog is being monetized through streaming and merchandise. The Sunrise official YouTube channel launched a paid membership tier on September 1, 2026 with full-series streams of Armored Trooper Votoms and Future GPX Cyber Formula, after a free slate added Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere and Cross Ange: Rondo of Angel and Dragon. Premium Bandai opened reservations in September 2026 for MS IGLOO Gunpla sets shipping in March 2027, and STRICT-G.ARMS took pre-orders for a Mobile Suit Gundam liner jacket in Earth Federation and Zeon versions.

On the film side, Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash - The Witch of Kirke began unlimited streaming on Amazon Prime Video on August 31, 2026 after grossing over 2.7 billion yen in Japan. Cowboy Bebop: The Movie returns to Japanese theaters in a 4K remaster starting October 30, 2026.

Key facts

50th anniversary project period
The Sunrise 50th Anniversary project runs from 2026 to 2028 and produces six original 3DCG shorts under the Mirai e no Koro banner. ↗
Votoms film release
Armored Trooper Votoms: The Grey Witch, directed by Mamoru Oshii, opens nationwide on November 20, 2026. ↗
Fool Night streaming date
Fool Night, produced by Sunrise and Shaft, streams worldwide on Netflix starting November 26 with all episodes released at once. ↗
Sunrise Channel membership
The Sunrise official YouTube channel launched a paid membership tier on September 1, 2026, with full-series streams of Armored Trooper Votoms and Future GPX Cyber Formula. ↗
Free channel additions
The Sunrise YouTube channel's 23rd free streaming installment added Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere and Cross Ange: Rondo of Angel and Dragon. ↗
Hathaway sequel box office
The Hathaway's Flash sequel premiered in Japan in January 2026 and grossed over 2.7 billion yen, outperforming the first film's 2.23 billion yen. ↗
Hathaway streaming start
Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash - The Witch of Kirke began unlimited streaming on Amazon Prime Video at midnight on August 31, 2026. ↗
Cowboy Bebop 4K return
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie returns to Japanese theaters in a 4K remastered version starting October 30, 2026. ↗
MS IGLOO Gunpla re-release
Premium Bandai opened reservations on September 8, 2026 for three MS IGLOO Gunpla kits shipping in March 2027, including the EX Model Hildolfr at 8,580 yen. ↗
Gundam anniversary prologue short
A Boy with Gundam, a nearly six-minute animated short directed by Tsukuro Hayakawa, opened the Gundam 50th Anniversary Project and was released on the official English and Japanese Gundam channels. ↗

Timeline

Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.

Facts

Announced
launch vehicle changed from ULA's Vulcan Centaur to SpaceX's Falcon Heavy · 2026-08-09
Announced
first-ever joint anime project with SHAFT (via new official X account on June 18, 2026) · 2026-06-18

Connections

Produces
armored trooper votoms the grey witch, mobile suit gundam gquuuuuux, fool night, mobile suit gundam hathaway s flash the witch of kierke, mobile suit gundam, armored trooper votoms, future gpx cyber formula, shaft, mirai e no koro, a boy with gundam
Produces of
nasa, spacex

Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/sunrise. CC BY 4.0.

Claim activity

When a claim about Sunrise was confirmed, debunked, or disputed against open-web sources. The record stays even after a claim drops off the facts list.

  • Confirmed sunrise produces a boy with gundam May 28 · source

All coverage

Sep 13

STRICT-G.ARMS Adds A Gundam Liner Jacket In Federation And Zeon Versions

STRICT-G.ARMS is taking pre-orders on Premium Bandai for a Mobile Suit Gundam liner jacket in two versions: Earth Federation Space Force in olive and Principality of Zeon Army in black, both with embroidery and patches. The jacket uses Thinsulate padding, opens with buttons, and costs 11,000 yen in sizes M through XXL. Pre-orders run from September 11 to September 27, 2026, with general sales at STRICT-G stores from September 19.

Sep 12

BS12 Airs Z Gundam: A New Translation II Lovers Tonight

BS12 TwellV airs "Mobile Suit Z Gundam: A New Translation II Lovers" on its Sunday Anime Theater slot on September 13 from 7 PM. The 2005 theatrical film is the second entry in the New Translation "Z" trilogy. It follows Kamille Bidan's encounter on Earth with Four Murasame, an enhanced human of the Titans, before he returns to space and the Z Gundam.

Sep 8

MS IGLOO Gunpla Sets Return With March 2027 Premium Bandai Orders

Premium Bandai opens reservations September 8 at 11:00 for three Gunpla kits tied to the MS IGLOO OVAs, all shipping in March 2027. The Zaku Ground Combat Set and Ground Combat Gundam Ground Combat Set, both from MS IGLOO 2: Gravity Front, cost 3,080 yen each. The EX Model Hildolfr from MS IGLOO: The Hidden One Year War returns at 8,580 yen.

Sep 4

Armored Trooper Votoms: The Grey Witch Casts Miki, Kaji, Nakamura, Sugita

Sunrise's 50th anniversary Armored Trooper Votoms film The Grey Witch, directed by Mamoru Oshii, revealed its full main cast. Shinichiro Miki, Yuki Kaji, Yuichi Nakamura, Tomokazu Sugita, Takahiro Sakurai, and Sumire Uesaka join previously announced Miyuki Sawashiro and Mafumi Ando. Set at the end of the Hundred Years War, the film opens nationwide November 20, 2026, and a 30-second trailer was shown.

Sep 1

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie Gets 4K Remaster for 25th Anniversary

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, the 2001 feature set between episodes 22 and 23 of the Cowboy Bebop TV series, is returning to Japanese theaters in a 4K remastered version starting October 30, 2026. The remaster was created under the full supervision of director Shinichiro Watanabe, who said he hopes audiences will experience "the crystallization of the passion and soul we poured into this work, in the darkness of a movie theater." The announcement came with a new 25th anniversary visual drawn by Toshihiro Kawamoto, the film's character designer and animation director, with background art by Atsushi Morikawa and main title design by Toshiaki Uesugi of Mach 55. The film follows Spike Spiegel and the Bebop crew as they chase a 300 million woolong bounty tied to a bioterror incident on Mars, a case that leads them to a man who was supposed to have died in a past war.

Aug 29

Gundam x Hololive Collab Unveils 2nd Wave Pilot Suits and Mobile Suits

The Gundam x Hololive collaboration revealed its second wave of pilot suit designs, mobile suits, and chibi figures for six talents: Oozora Subaru, Usada Pekora, Tsunomaki Watame, Mori Calliope, IRyS, and Todoroki Hajime. The new additions bring the total displayed to 12. A special booth at TOKYO Toy Show 2026 will show the latest project information and products.

Aug 21

Fool Night Anime Sets November 26 Netflix Debut, Adds Cast

Bandai Namco Filmworks announced at Anime NYC 2026 that the Fool Night anime will stream worldwide on Netflix starting November 26, with all episodes released at once. The series is the first collaboration between Sunrise and Shaft, directed by Atsuyuki Yukawa, who previously worked as a unit director on Suzume. The second teaser trailer and new cast were revealed alongside the date. Junya Enoki voices Akira Yatsuki, deputy head of the personnel department at the Fourth Tenka Institute; Aya Endo voices Saeko Kano, a former soldier and Akira's bodyguard; and Kiyomitsu Mizuuchi voices Jin Hiragishi, head of the 'Nashi Division' who hires protagonist Toshiro Kamiya. Previously announced cast includes Kouki Uchiyama as Toshiro Kamiya and Minako Kotobuki as Yomiko Horai. The staff includes series composer Jin Tanaka of Oshi no Ko, character designer Robert Sato, sound director Yota Tsuruoka, and music composer Tatsuya Kato of Dr. Stone. The manga by Kasumi Yasuda has been serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Superior since November 2020, with 13 volumes released.

Aug 20

Sunrise Channel Adds Paid Membership With Full Votoms and Cyber Formula Streams

Bandai Namco Filmworks announced a paid membership tier for the Sunrise official YouTube channel, launching September 1. The first offerings are full series streams of Armored Trooper Votoms and Future GPX Cyber Formula, including OVAs and films. Members get badges and stamps, plus a making-of video for the new Votoms film.

Aug 6

Sunrise Channel Adds Horizon and Cross Ange to Free YouTube Streaming

Bandai Namco Filmworks announced on July 24 that the 23rd installment of free streaming on the official Sunrise YouTube channel will add 'Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere' and 'Cross Ange: Rondo of Angel and Dragon' for the first time. Both series will release episodes 1 through 6, starting August 7 and September 18 respectively.

Jun 25

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Characters and Mobile Suits Join Gashapon 'Machibouke' Series

Bandai will release a set of Gashapon figures from the 'Machibouke' series featuring characters and mobile suits from the anime Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX. The lineup includes four types: Amate Yuzuriha (also known as Machu), Nyaan, Shuji Ito, and the GQuuuuuuX mobile suit itself. The figures are made of PVC, with characters standing approximately 3 cm tall and mobile suits about 3.5 cm. Each figure costs 400 yen (tax included). Orders will be accepted on the Gashapon Online store from June 25, 2026 at 11:00 JST through July 5, 2026 at 23:59 JST. Delivery is scheduled for around late September 2026. Bandai notes that the figures may also appear in capsule vending machines nationwide before the delivery date. Orders will close once the planned quantity is reached. The announcement was made on June 24, 2026 via Dengeki Hobby Web. The series is produced by Bandai and is licensed under Sotsu and Sunrise.

Jun 23

Sunrise and Shaft's Fool Night Anime Debuts on Netflix in 2026

The manga Fool Night by Kasumi Yasuda will receive a television anime adaptation produced by Sunrise and Shaft, the first collaboration between the two studios, Netflix announced on June 23 during its Anime Studio Focus panel at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival. The series will stream worldwide on Netflix in 2026. Director Atsuyuki Yukawa, who worked as a unit director on Suzume, will helm the project, with Jin Tanaka handling series composition, Tatsuya Kato composing the music, and Yota Tsuruoka directing sound. The cast includes Koki Uchiyama as protagonist Toshiro Kamiya and Minako Kotobuki as Yomiko Horai. A teaser trailer and visual were also released. Yasuda's manga, which launched in Shogakukan's Big Comic Superior in November 2020, has 12 compiled volumes and a cumulative print run of approximately 600,000 copies across 17 countries. It ranked 12th in the male reader list of Kono Manga ga Sugoi 2023.

Jun 18

Sunrise and SHAFT Announce First-Ever Joint Anime Project

Sunrise and SHAFT have launched a new anime project together, marking the first collaboration between the two studios. The announcement came on Thursday via a newly created official X account, which began a countdown to a full reveal scheduled for June 23 at 24:30 JST (effectively June 24 at 12:30 a.m.). The account posted a teaser video featuring color script artwork, offering a glimpse into the project's visual direction. Bandai Namco Filmworks, Sunrise's parent company, confirmed the project is an original animation. Sunrise is known for franchises including Mobile Suit Gundam, Love Live!, and Code Geass, while SHAFT is recognized for its distinct visual style in works like Puella Magi Madoka Magica and the Monogatari series. The project's title, format, story, and production staff are expected to be announced when the countdown concludes next week.

Jun 17

Bandai Namco Filmworks Launches Sunrise 50th Anniversary Project With 6 Short Films

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.

May 16

Sunrise Releases Gundam 50th Anniversary Prologue Short A Boy With Gundam

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.