Hideaki Anno and Yutaka Izubuchi will co-direct a new feature-length anime film called Cosmoship Yamato √2199, according to a website announcement detailing the project at Production I.G and Studio Khara. The film marks the latest entry in the long-running Space Battleship Yamato franchise, which first launched in 1974.
The title’s symbol, √, is pronounced “Root,” making the film’s full name Yamato Root 2199. Fans of the franchise have waited two years for concrete details since Anno first teased a new Yamato project tied to his studio.
What Was Announced
The announcement credits Anno with planning duties alongside Production I.G founder Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, who will serve as production executive producer. Anno and Izubuchi are both credited for design work on the film, and the production is being presented by Shin Office Academy.
Anno addressed the project in a statement tied to the announcement. “I want to keep making Yamato not only to fulfill a childhood dream, but also to imbue our proyers and wishes for the next generation and our own. It is with that resolve that we produce this,” Anno said.
He is best known for co-creating Neon Genesis Evangelion and for his work on the Shin Godzilla, Shin Ultraman and Shin Kamen Rider films. His history with Yamato runs deep: Anno said he has been a fan of the franchise for 49 years, dating back to his second year of middle school, and he previously planned the opening sequence for the Space Battleship Yamato 2199 remake series.
Izubuchi brings his own long résumé with the property. He served as chief director on the Space Battleship Yamato 2199 remake projects and confirmed his involvement in the new film during a 50th anniversary screening event in October 2024,
Yamato √2199 Marks Next Step In Franchise
For longtime Yamato fans, the news confirms that Anno and Studio Khara’s long-teased new anime footage is finally taking shape as an actual film rather than a vague promise. Anno first announced after the 50th anniversary screening of the original Space Battleship Yamato anime in October 2024 that he and Khara were producing new Yamato content.
That plan required sign-off from the franchise’s rights holders. Studio Khara received license approvals from Voyager Holdings and Tohokushinsha Film Corporation to produce the new anime footage, clearing the path for Cosmoship Yamato √2199 to move forward.
Background
The original Space Battleship Yamato television series premiered in October 1974, and the first animated Yamato film followed in 1977, earning 2.1 billion yen (about $23 million) at the box office. The franchise became a genuine cultural phenomenon in Japan, with the anime drawing a record instantaneous television rating of 50% in 1978.
The franchise remains active today through Yamato yo Towa ni: Rebel 3199, also known as Be Forever Yamato: Rebel 3199, the current remake project tied to the 2199 continuity. That project is being released as seven films, with the first installment, “Kuro no Shinryaku” (Dark Invasion), opening in July.
What’s Next
The final film in the Yamato yo Towa ni: Rebel 3199 series is scheduled to open in Japan on Oct. 30, giving fans a near-term milestone to watch while details on Cosmoship Yamato √2199 continue to emerge.
Reporting from Anime News Network contributed to this story.
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