is an upcoming Japanese mecha animated film directed by

Mitsuo Fukuda is a Japanese animation director and scriptwriter from Tochigi Prefecture. He was married to anime screenwriter Chiaki Morosawa until her death in 2016. Career Fukuda is a graduate of Waseda Senior High School. While in school, he was a member ...

. The film is a sequel to both ''

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED is an anime series developed by Sunrise and directed by Mitsuo Fukuda. The ninth installment in the ''Gundam'' franchise, ''Gundam SEED'' takes place in a future calendar era, in this case the Cosmic Era. In this era, mankind has devel ...

'' and '' Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny''. The story is set to take place one year after the events of ''SEED Destiny''. The film was in development since 2006, but production was postponed due to main writer

Chiaki Morosawa was a Japanese anime screenwriter and the creator of the fictional universe of "Cosmic Era" the setting for the anime ''Mobile Suit Gundam SEED'' (in which she was the head writer) and its related series. Born in Urawa, Saitama, Saitama City, Sait ...

's health condition. A few years after Morosawa's death in 2016, the film's production started and it is scheduled for release on January 26, 2024.

Premise

Set in Cosmic Era 75, the film will involve the characters of Kira Yamato and Lacus Clyne with the first trailer highlighting the themes of "freedom versus destiny".

Cast

Production

Sunrise announced the film at the Sony Music Anime Fes' 06. It would have been the first original '' Gundam'' film since 1991. After the Sony Music Anime Fes' 06, Sunrise announced the film on their website. Houko Kuwashima, voice actress of character

Stella Loussier This is a list of fictional characters featured in the Cosmic Era (CE) timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. These characters appear in the ''Mobile Suit Gundam SEED'' and ''Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny'' anime television series, as well a ...

, has stated on her "SEED Club blog" that the character will somehow also have a role in the film. Lacus,

Yzak Joule This is a list of fictional characters featured in the Cosmic Era (CE) timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. These characters appear in the ''Mobile Suit Gundam SEED'' and ''Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny'' anime television series, as well a ...

, and Dearka Elsman will return as members of the PLANT Supreme Council and Kira, Shinn, and

Lunamaria Hawke This is a list of fictional characters featured in the Cosmic Era (CE) timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. These characters appear in the ''Mobile Suit Gundam SEED'' and ''Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny'' anime television series, as well a ...

will be part of the ZAFT military. However, In 2008, writer Chiaki Morosawa explained that the plot was done, but she has been ill since the end of 2004-2005's '' Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny'' series. As a result, she asked for the fans' patience. In 2016, it was announced Morosawa passed away due to aortic dissection. Takanori Nishikawa mentioned at the Gundam 40th Fes. “Live-Beyond” concert in 2019 that he was told by a staff member that the film was still in pre-production. The

Bandai Namco Group also known as the Bandai Namco Group and generally Bandai Namco, is a Japanese multinational holding company, production enterprise and entertainment conglomerate headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, formed from the merger of Bandai and Namco on ...

announced the "Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Project ignited" initiative during the opening ceremony for the life-size Freedom Gundam statue in Shanghai in May 2021. Headlining the initiative is the previously announced film project that serves as a sequel to the television series ''Destiny''. The staff, led by returning director

, would announce the opening date and other details in the future. The official website for the ''

'' film project opened on July 2, 2023, and revealed the film's title and teaser. Fukuda said the development team of the movie is composed both several returning staff members as well as new ones, aiming to create new technology together. Despite pressure of the success of the two ''SEED'' series, the director looks forward to create a product that is able to match its predecessors. Fukuda apologized to the fans for the long development hell the film took as it originally meant to come shortly after ''Destiny''. He reflected such series left unfinished drama to the protagonists of Kira Yamato, Athrun Zala and Shinn Asuka and thus wanted to explore such possibilities with ''Freedom''. With the long development, Fukuda also looked forward to use more 3D and facial expressions.

References

External links

Official site
{{Sunrise films Mobile Suit Gundam SEED 2024 anime films Gundam anime and manga Japanese animated films Shochiku films Sunrise (company)