Lead: A new Ghost in the Shell anime is officially in production at Science SARU, the studio behind this summer’s The Ghost in the Shell TV series, Bandai Namco Filmworks announced on October 23.
What happened with the new Ghost in the Shell anime
The franchise’s official global site posted the news on Friday, October 23, 2026, under the working title Ghost in the Shell (Kōkaku Kidōtai, tentative). The listing is short: original work by Shirow Masamune, published by Kodansha, with animation production by Science SARU. No format, director, cast, story, or release window has been announced. The official site says further details will come through Bandai Namco Filmworks’ social media channels.
The reveal itself was low-key. Rather than a trailer or stage event, the project was announced through flyers handed out at a press preview for “OPEN HOUSE,” a public event at Dover Street Market Ginza in Tokyo held on October 24. That preview marked a collaboration between the apparel line GEEKS RULE and the TV anime, and included a signing session with Mokochan, who directed the 2026 series. A teaser visual reading “New Animation Project Underway” was released alongside the news, carrying Bandai Namco, Science SARU, and Kodansha logos.
The previous series, The Ghost in the Shell, premiered July 7 on Kansai TV and Fuji TV’s Ka-Anival!! block and streamed worldwide on Prime Video, running 10 episodes, according to Anime News Network. Mokochan made his directorial debut on it, with novelist Toh Enjoe handling series composition and scripts and Shūhei Handa designing characters. King Gnu performed the opening theme, “Go Ghost.”
Why it matters
Ghost in the Shell is one of the few anime properties that genuinely shaped global sci-fi, from Mamoru Oshii’s 1995 film to Stand Alone Complex. Science SARU’s take was a bold swing: a return to Shirow’s manga with a looser, more graphic style than the cool, metallic Production I.G look many fans grew up with. Greenlighting more work at the same studio only months after the premiere suggests the committee, which includes Bandai Namco Filmworks, Kodansha, Science SARU, and Production I.G, sees that reboot as a foundation rather than a one-off.
It is also another sign of how much weight Science SARU carries right now. The studio is juggling DAN DA DAN, which Anime! Anime! notes has a third season slated for 2027, alongside high-profile films and now a second Ghost in the Shell project. Fans will want to know whether the same team returns, since Mokochan’s direction and Handa’s designs were the main reasons the series stood apart.
For artists, this is a good moment to study Motoko Kusanagi and Batou across eras. Comparing Handa’s sharper, manga-faithful designs with the 1995 film and SAC versions is a great exercise in how one character can be reinterpreted through line weight and proportion.
What we know vs what is rumored
- Confirmed: a new Ghost in the Shell animation project is in production, with Science SARU animating, under the working title Ghost in the Shell (tentative).
- Confirmed: the announcement came via flyers at the OPEN HOUSE press preview at Dover Street Market Ginza, with a teaser visual released the same day.
- Unconfirmed: whether it is a second season, a film, or a new series; whether Mokochan, Toh Enjoe, or the voice cast return; and any release window.
What happens next
No date has been set for the next announcement, so watch Bandai Namco Filmworks’ official social accounts and the Ghost in the Shell global site. In the meantime, Anime! Anime! reports a Blu-ray box collecting all 10 episodes of the 2026 series is due in Japan on December 23, 2026, which is a natural point for the committee to share more. We will update when format, staff, or timing is confirmed.
Sources: Ghost in the Shell Official Global Site — New “The Ghost in the Shell” Animation Project underway with Science SARU · Anime News Network — Science Saru’s The Ghost in the Shell Gets New Anime Project · Anime! Anime! — 「攻殻機動隊」新作アニメ制作決定！ アニメーション制作はサイエンスSARUが引き続き担当