Once again, Masamune Shirow’s legendary manga Ghost in the Shell is being adapted. This time, it’s a brand new anime series by a well-known studio, and we have all the details so far.
For many fans, Ghost in the Shell is most well-known by the 1995 anime movie directed by Mamoru Oshii. That iconic film, a masterclass in cyberpunk and action filmmaking, helped popularize the medium outside Japan, and remains one of the best anime ever made.
But, despite how great that movie is, it took some liberties with the source manga. Likewise for the other installments we’ve gotten over the years.
This version of Ghost in the Shell could be the most accurate to Masamune’s original work yet. Even if it isn’t, the studios involved are exciting nonetheless.
The Ghost in the Shell release window
The Ghost in the Shell anime will come out sometime in 2026. This was revealed in the initial announcement from Science SARU.
士郎正宗によるサイバーパンクSFの金字塔「攻殻機動隊」新作TVアニメシリーズ始動――!!アニメーション制作：サイエンスSARU2026年放送TV Animation“The Ghost in the Shell”Animation Production: Science SARUNew Series 2026詳細はこちら↓https://t.co/PMSgC4gC0s… pic.twitter.com/kGGXNfNb15
— 攻殻機動隊【公式】GHOST IN THE SHELL official (@thegitsofficial) May 25, 2024
That indicates that production is still relatively early, and gives the team plenty of wiggle room for release, since the show could arrive anytime within the calendar year.
Is there a The Ghost in the Shell teaser?
The Ghost in the Shell got a brief teaser as part of the initial reveal. The video contains several pages of Masamune Shirow manga, enhanced with small animations.
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The images show Major Motoko Kusanagi and Public Security Section 9 in various situations. The iconic scene where Motoko jumps out of a high rise and activates her cloaking suit is included, which definitely gives the suggestion the idea here is to challenge the changes made in the 1995 film and the sequels.
Who is making The Ghost in the Shell?
The Ghost in the Shell is being made by Science SARU, in collaboration with Bandai Namco Filmworks, Kodansha, and Production I.G. Individual personnel have yet to be named, so we don’t know who the director or screenwriter are.
Masaaki Yuasa, a highly experienced anime filmmaker, co-founded Science SARU, so he could potentially be involved. He has the expertise as a director and visionary, but a lot of his more recent work has been feature-length too, and he might want to stay in that realm. Alas, this is all speculation for now.
Is The Ghost in the Shell a reboot?
It’s been heavily implied that the new Ghost in the Shell anime will reboot the story, adapting the manga from scratch. The announcement visual contains Major Motoko Kusanagi and a Fuchikoma, both key elements of the original manga.
The teaser shows panels and pages for the manga as well, suggesting this will be a more accurate adaptation than we’ve seen previously, drawing on the source material from the ground up.
Those are all the details we have on The Ghost in the Shell for now. Check out our upcoming anime list for more releases on the horizon, and our guides to Tower of God Season 2 and Solo Leveling Season 2 will be worth keeping handy as well.