Ghost in the Shell Anime Sets July 7, 2026 Premiere

Bandai Namco Filmworks announced new details Sunday for its upcoming anime series "The Ghost in the Shell," confirming a premiere date of July 7, 2026, on Prime Video worldwide except in China and Russia. The production, handled by Science Saru studio and directed by Touma Kimura, known as Mokochan, reboots Masamune Shirow's landmark cyberpunk manga originally published in 1989.

The series follows Motoko Kusanagi, a full-body cyborg leading Public Security Section 9, an elite counter-cybercrime unit also called Shell Squad. Set in 2029 in a near-future Japan linked by vast information networks amid persistent nation-states and ethnic divisions, the story centers on the team's investigations into complex cybercrimes and international conspiracies. They confront the mysterious hacker known as the Puppet Master, a key antagonist from the original manga and prior adaptations.

A new trailer released May 11 showcased action sequences, the rugged manga-inspired visual style, and appearances by the spider-like AI tanks called Tachikoma, or Fuchikoma in the manga. A key visual by chief animation director Nao Naito depicts Kusanagi atop a Tachikoma/Fuchikoma with her Section 9 teammates...