Bandai Namco Filmworks has unveiled a fresh trailer and the main visual for the upcoming film, Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe, the second installment in the Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway anime series. The trailer, released on a Friday, confirmed that the film’s release has been pushed back to January 30, 2026, and will be shown in 365 theaters across Japan. The studio had previously indicated that the film would open in Japan this year, with North American screenings to follow.
The main cast and crew from the first film are returning for this sequel, with a few notable additions. Yuichi Kuboki will join Takako Suzuki as a color key artist. Yoshinori Sayama, known for his work on Macross Plus, Cowboy Bebop, and Mobile Suit Gundam UC, will handle the display designs. Yoshihisa Oyama will serve as the compositing director of photography, while Manabu Kamitono will direct the visual effects.
Director Shukou Murase had hinted during the first film’s 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc release event in December 2021 that the second film might not open before 2024, coinciding with the next Summer Olympic Games. The film’s producer, Naohiro Ogata, revealed that the next stage of the series is set in Australia, but filming has been challenging due to COVID-19 restrictions. Murase has been using a flight simulator to scout locations.
The film project is planned as a trilogy, with the second part initially having a working title of Kidō Senshi Gundam: Senkō no Hathaway: San of Bright. The producer explained that the Japanese katakana characters “San” can be read as “sun” or “son,” referencing the main character Hathaway Noa, who is the son of Bright Noa. Ogata also mentioned that the second part will diverge from Yoshiyuki Tomino’s original novel series.
The first film in the series opened in Japan on June 11, 2021, after several delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It sold 259,074 tickets in its first three days, earning 523,943,800 yen (about US$4.77 million). The film eventually became the first Gundam movie since 1988’s Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack to surpass the 1 billion yen mark at the Japanese box office. As of October 10, 2021, it had earned a cumulative total of 2,209,628,200 yen (about US$19.57 million).
Netflix U.S. began exclusively streaming the first film on July 1, 2021.
In the latest trailer, the story continues to follow Hathaway as he grapples with his feelings for Gigi and his mission aligned with MAFTY. Kenneth prepares for the suppression of MAFTY, while Gigi’s presence alters the course of both men’s destinies in an intense space opera filled with drama, combat, and emotional complexity. The film will hit theaters across Japan this winter and in the United States at a date yet to be confirmed.
Kensho Ono, who voices Hathaway Noa, commented, “This is all crazy. Hathaway is a man who questions the world itself—torn by doubts about what justice means and what he is truly fighting for. He suffers in solitude as he struggles with those questions, while Gigi’s presence grows ever larger, spiraling out of control. Is it the world that’s gone mad, or is it something else? I hope you look forward to seeing the answer unfold on screen.”
Reina Ueda, who voices Gigi Andalucia, added, “Does Gigi truly realize that she holds the power to influence the course of this conflict—or not? There are moments where it almost sounds as if she’s toying with the very syllables of ‘Hathaway Noa,’ yet beneath that playfulness lies someone who struggles and thinks deeply. I hope audiences will be able to feel that sincerity and complexity in her performance.”
Junichi Suwabe, who voices Kenneth Sleg, said, “Thank you all for your patience—I’ve been eagerly waiting for this moment myself. The second chapter of Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway is finally here! The trailer alone gave me goosebumps with its escalating tension. The story of those swept along by destiny moves forward once again. Please look forward to it!”
News Source: Animenewsnetwork.com
