Yoko Taro Pens the Next Evangelion Anime—New Trailer Revealed at Anime Expo
One of anime’s most influential series is set to return with a brand-new installment—this time shaped by a major name from the gaming world. During the CloverWorks, Inc. Industry Panel at Anime Expo 2026, an English version of a fresh trailer for the next Evangelion project was unveiled, with the announcement that the full series will be written by Yoko Taro, creator of the Drakengard and Nier franchises.
The production is also stacked on the anime side. Yoko Taro is credited with both the screenplay and story, Keiichi Okabe is handling the music (after previously working on both Nier and Nier: Automata), and the series is directed by Evangelion veterans Kazuya Tsurumaki and Toko Yatabe. Details beyond the trailer remain scarce, but the visuals offer enough to speculate about where the story may land.
In the trailer, Neon Genesis Evangelion’s Unit-01 is shown undergoing a horrifying transformation—an image that should hit hard for longtime fans of the franchise, and for viewers who also like the kind of big, monster-driven spectacle associated with Godzilla.
Yoko Taro is Writing a Brand-New Evangelion Series
A new Evangelion series is notable on its own, but the involvement of Yoko Taro as both the writer and the story architect is the real hook. His signature blend of depression, darkness, philosophical angles, and sharply observed character writing lines up closely with what series creator Hideaki Anno is known for. That overlap is likely why Taro is being positioned to take the reins of the franchise in Anno’s absence.
Studio Khara’s teaser includes a distinctly ominous message: “An eternal summer vacation. This place is our paradise. This place is our graveyard. What we hear is the song of eternal damnation. We pray thy souls rest in peace.” The trailer also leans into unsettling imagery, including a piano and violin overrun by growth, set in what appears to be a deteriorated location. Taken together, those hints suggest the new series may be set between the events of Evangelion 3.0 and the ending of Thrice Upon a Time.
Between the original Evangelion run and the Rebuild of Evangelion reimagining, there were several Neon Genesis Evangelion movies released in varying quality.
The New Evangelion Anime Will Be Directed By Kazuya Tsurumaki, The Director of the Rebuild Movies
Bringing Yoko Taro’s writing to life will be Kazuya Tsurumaki, a director with deep ties to the Rebuild of Evangelion franchise. Alongside Hideaki Anno, Tsurumaki co-directed all four movies in the Rebuild series. Beyond Evangelion, Tsurumaki also directed Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, described as a highly stylish—though sometimes confusing—alternate take on the Gundam Universal Century timeline.
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Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX feels like Gundam’s own interpretation of the Rebuild approach, which makes Tsurumaki a fitting collaborator for Taro’s new Evangelion anime. At the moment, it’s not confirmed when the series will premiere or how many episodes it will include—but with Yoko Taro and Kazuya Tsurumaki teaming up, it’s set up to be a major new entry for one of anime’s most important ongoing franchises.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Cast
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Megumi Ogata
Shinji Ikari (voice) -
Kotono Mitsuishi
Misato Katsuragi (voice) -
Megumi Hayashibara
Rei Ayanami (voice) -
Yuko Miyamura
Asuka Langley Soryu (voice)
