Even though Ghost in the Shell is a story that still pops up every now and then, fans of the franchise spend long stretches of time without new entries to enjoy. This is about to change, as the new anime series The Ghost in the Shell is just around the corner, and it promises to shake up what we know about the cyberpunk tale. At least that’s what the new trailer indicates — it was unveiled at this year’s Anime Expo, and the previously announced release date was underscored: the series is coming in 2026.
As was announced some months ago, The Ghost in the Shell has the blessing of Masamune Shirow, who created the original manga series all the way back in 1989. The creator himself described the new series as “the first installment of a second generation,” hinting that you probably won’t need to see all the spin-offs made in order to understand the new entry. At the same time, both Shirow and fans can’t help but celebrate the fact that this is the tenth overall adaptation of the manga — a huge deal by any standards.
The trailer makes it clear that The Ghost in the Shell is as relevant as ever. If in the late 80s the futuristic premise already brought front and center themes like artificial intelligence and identity, the new anime series will now re-imagine a world in which all the concerns involving technology, abuse, power and crime are a commentary rather than a far-distant concern. All of that will be made even more compelling by the top-notch animation style that the trailer also teases. But fans will have to wait a little more to check it out — at the panel, it was announced that the series is finishing the scripts stage and the storyboards are still being developed.
Who Is the Team Behind ‘The Ghost in the Shell’?
The Ghost in the Shell is brought together by a production committee that includes Bandai Namco Filmworks and Science SARU — the animation studio that is responsible for the immensely praised animation of DanDaDan. Mokochan, who acted as a key animator on DanDaDan, makes his directing debut with The Ghost in the Shell. Toh Enjoe (Godzilla Singular Point) is tasked with writing and overseeing the screenplays of the series and Shūhei Handa (Little Witch Academia) doubles down as character designer and chief animation director. The winning team might just make the new series one of the biggest anime titles of 2026.
Ghost in the Shell is a sci-fi story that inspired some of the biggest franchises in the history of pop culture, including The Matrix, Steven Spielberg‘s A.I. – Artificial Intelligence, and even the Avatar film series. Back in 2017, Hollywood tried to adapt it into a blockbuster with Scarlett Johansson (Jurassic World Rebirth) in the lead, but with a 43% Rotten Tomatoes score, it was one of the year’s biggest flops.
The Ghost in the Shell premieres in 2026. You can check out the new trailer above.