Hideaki Anno to Release New Short Film for Evangelions 30th Anniversary Celebration

The studio Khara has announced its new animation project set in the «Evangelion» universe. This short film is being created in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the iconic mecha franchise.

The runtime of the film will be approximately 13 minutes. Hideaki Anno, the creator of the original series, will return as the screenplay writer and overall supervisor for the project. Naoyuki Asano, who previously served as the chief animator for the feature film «Evangelion: 3.0+1.0,» will direct the short. The production also includes veterans from the studio, Kazuya Tsurumaki and Shinji Higuchi.

The premiere will take place during the special event «Evangelion: 30+,» scheduled to occur at the Yokohama Arena in Japan from February 21 to 23, 2026. Organizers have highlighted the exclusive nature of the screening, stating that the short film will only be shown once a day at the festival venue.

The original «Neon Genesis Evangelion» anime debuted in October 1995. The most recent major project in the franchise, the Rebuild of Evangelion film series, concluded in 2021 with the release of «Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time.»