Hideaki Anno, Yutaka Izubuchi Co-Direct Space Battleship Yamato Film

Hideaki Anno and Yutaka Izubuchi are leading a new feature-length anime film titled Space Battleship Yamato √2199. The project, also referred to as Cosmoship Yamato √2199, is being developed separately from the ongoing series of Yamato remakes.

Anno will serve as director, planner, and executive producer, sharing design duties with Izubuchi. Izubuchi is credited as Director, Design Works. Anno emphasized the distinct nature of this new film. "Uchuu Senkan Yamato √2199 is being developed separately and will take a different path from the remakes," he stated.

Production details and studio involvement

The film marks the first joint animation production between Production I.G and Studio Color, with Khara also involved. Shin Office Academy is presenting the project, which is based on the original work by Yoshinobu Nishizaki. Khara secured the necessary license approvals from Voyager Holdings and Tohokushinsha Film Corporation to produce new anime footage for the film.

Creative team background and franchise history

Both creators have deep roots in the Yamato franchise. Yutaka Izubuchi was the chief director of the Space Battleship Yamato 2199 remake series. Hideaki Anno previously planned the opening sequence for that same 2199 project.

Anno has been a fan for 49 years, since his second year of middle school. He missed the first episode of the original broadcast but watched from episode two through the finale, often running home after cram school. He has said he did not think he would be the same person without the Yamato franchise.

Official channels and promotional outreach

The project's official website is now live. Further details and insights will come via a special feature in the November issue of Monthly Newtype magazine, on sale Friday, October 9. This issue will contain special interviews with both Anno and Izubuchi and will feature the first-ever release of Yamato illustrations.

Context within the broader Yamato timeline

This new film exists outside the current continuity of the Yamato 2199 remakes. That remake series is currently in its final chapter, titled Yamato yo, Towa ni: Rebel 3199, which is structured as seven films. The first film, Kuro no Shinryaku (Dark Invasion), opened in July 2024. The seventh and final part is scheduled to premiere on October 30, 2024.

The Yamato franchise spans decades of adaptations. The original Uchuu Senkan Yamato television anime aired 26 episodes from October 1974 to March 1975. Its legacy includes numerous sequels, OVAs, and the recent remake series that began with the Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2199 OVA in 2012.

The November issue of Monthly Newtype will feature special interviews with Hideaki Anno and Yutaka Izubuchi and the first-ever release of Yamato illustrations.