The most important cult franchise of Japanese science fiction shows no signs of slowing down. Bandai Namco Filmworks surprised fans this Friday by announcing a new anime project for Ghost in the Shell (Kokaku Kidotai THE GHOST IN THE SHELL), with animation duties once again handled by the creative studio Science SARU.

The announcement came during the presentation of a clothing line by Geeks Rule in Tokyo. While the final format—whether a series, film, or special—has not been specified, the company released a first promotional image to build anticipation among Major Kusanagi’s fans.

This new project promises a fresh creative effort adapting passages from the original work by author Shirow Masamune. For this venture, Science SARU joins the production committee alongside giants like Bandai Namco Filmworks, Kodansha, and Production I.G, pledging to maintain the quality standards of the TV series that debuted last July with ten episodes.

The TV project featured the debut of Mokochan as director, scripts supervised by Toh Enjoe, and character designs by Shuhei Handa, who also served as chief animation director. Taisei Iwasaki led musical direction, composing the soundtrack with Ryo Konishi and Yuki Kanesaka. The voice cast included top-tier talent, with Maaya Sakamoto as Motoko Kusanagi, Hiroki Yasumoto as Batou, Kazuhiro Yamaji as Daisuke Aramaki, and Yuichi Nakamura as Togusa, joined by Kosuke Goto as Ishikawa, Toru Nara as Saito, Marie Oi as Operator, and Tomoko Kaneda as Fuchikoma.

Ghost in the Shell is one of the most influential ciberpunk franchises globally, originating as a manga by Shirow Masamune. Set in a hyper-technological neo-Tokyo future where the line between humanity and machines is blurred, it follows Public Security Section 9, an anti-terror unit led by cyborg Major Motoko Kusanagi.

Over the decades, the work has inspired countless science fiction productions and seen multiple cult adaptations in film and TV. With this new project, the saga reaffirms its narrative universe’s relevance in modern animation.

What format would you like to see for this new Ghost in the Shell production by Science SARU?