Since its debut in the 1989 manga by Masamune Shirow, The Ghost in the Shell has captivated audiences and creators, emerging as a symbol of cyberpunk storytelling. This iconic work inspired the acclaimed 1995 animated film directed by Mamoru Oshii, as well as a live-action Hollywood adaptation featuring Scarlett Johansson.
Now, Japanese studio Science SARU (Inu-Oh, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!) has announced the core team, teaser trailer, and key visual for a new anime series adaptation, also titled The Ghost in the Shell. Originally revealed in May 2024, this project is anticipated to premiere in 2026.
The upcoming series represents the directorial debut of Mokochan (Toma Kimura), recognized for his contributions to Dan Da Dan and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. The script is penned by sci-fi writer EnJoe Toh (Self-Reference ENGINE, Shadow.net), with character design and executive animation direction handled by Shuhei Handa (Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Spriggan).
New series key visual
- Hart, Christopher (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 144 Pages - 07/07/2015 (Publication Date) - Drawing with Christopher Hart (Publisher)
- Shinjuku Press (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 128 Pages - 05/02/2022 (Publication Date) - Independently published (Publisher)
- Yoai, Yoai (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 144 Pages - 08/24/2021 (Publication Date) - Rock Point (Publisher)
Kimura / Mokochan, born in 1992, joined Science SARU in 2015 after studying under director Masaaki Yuasa as an assistant director alongside Fuga Yamashiro. He contributed as storyboarder and episode director on The Heike Story (2022), The Tatami Time Machine Blues (2022), and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023); he also storyboarded and directed the opening sequence of SPTO. In Dan Da Dan (Season 1), he took on the role of assistant director while also storyboarding and directing both an episode and the ending animation.
Toh, born in Sapporo in 1972, debuted as a writer with 2007’s Self-Reference ENGINE, which received a special citation at the Philip K. Dick Awards. His works have garnered numerous accolades: Harlequin’s Butterfly won the Akutagawa Prize, The Empire of Corpses (in collaboration with Project Itoh) received the Nihon SF Taisho Special Award, Mojika earned the Kawabata Yasunari Prize for Literature and Nihon SF Taisho Prize, while Code Buddha was awarded the Yomiuri Prize for Literature. He contributed scripts and served as SF advisor on the animated series Godzilla Singular Point and has experience as a translator. His translations include Charles Yu’s How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, Lafcadio Hearn’s Kwaidan (translated into Japanese), and Ugetsu Monogatari (translated into modern Japanese).
Handa, born in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka in 1984, began his career at Gainax and is now a freelance animator at TRIGGER. After contributing to Little Witch Academia (2013, Anime Mirai version), KILL la KILL (2013-2014), One Punch Man (2015), and Space Patrol Luluco (2016), he held the positions of character designer and chief animation director for Little Witch Academia (2017, TV series). He later worked as character designer on SPRIGGAN (2022) and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023).
The new teaser video highlights key animation and storyboards, providing an early view into the unfolding drama of the series. Additionally, the second teaser visual, created by Shuhei Handa, features the cyborg protagonist Motoko Kusanagi along with the AI tank Fuchikoma, echoing the essence of Shirow’s original manga cover illustration.
“In terms of anime adaptations, this new The Ghost in the Shell represents the fourth rendition following those by Oshii, Kamiyama, and Kise,” stated manga creator Masamune Shirow. “Alternatively, if we distinguish Ghost in the Shell and Innocence, separating the S.A.C. series into Seasons 1, 2, and Solid State Society, categorizing Arise as its own series together with The New Movie, and dividing SAC_2045 into Seasons 1 and 2, this would overall be the tenth adaptation.
“Given the changes in production staff, one might consider this the initial entry of a second generation. The original manga is quite aged, so I hope for your patience regarding that (apologies!). Regardless, I genuinely wish for this to be another enjoyable visual experience in some manner.”
Shirow embarked on his journey in manga and illustration in 1982. He is the original creator of Appleseed (1984, Seishinsha), Dominion (1984, Hakusensha/Seishinsha), The Ghost in the Shell (1989, Kodansha), and Orion (1990, Seishinsha). He conceptualized Pandora in Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn (2012, Kadokawa Shoten) and contributed as scriptwriter and storyboarder for the anime Black Magic M-66. His art books include the INTRON DEPOT series (1992, Seishinsha), W・TAILS CAT (2012, GOT), and GREASEBERRIES (2014, GOT). Additionally, he has illustrated novels such as Classical Fantasy Within (written by Soji Shimada, 2008, Kodansha) and The Third [Complete Edition] (2015, Mainichi Shimbun Publishing), alongside design and illustration work for games, and design and plot development for animations.