The latest instalment of the Rebuild of Evangelion animated film series will release its fourth movie Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time on January 23, 2024. The film is part of a series that retells, with minor changes, the original Neon Genesis Evangelion television series in a more theatrical, high production-value form.
Over the last twenty-five years, the series has gathered a cult following and Hideaki Anno’s post-apocalyptic vision of a society on the brink of collapse is perhaps more relatable after a year of global COVID-19 lockdowns and governmental restrictions. Certainly the series has stood the test of time and this January fans of the franchise finally have the opportunity to enjoy a new movie, that has been delayed since 2015.
Reasons for the Delay
The series author Hideaki Anno and the chief director is known for suffering under bouts of depression, similar to the main character of Evangelion, Shinji Ikari. Sadly, after the emotional and physical strain that directing the first three movies inflicted on Anno, he suffered a strong episode of depression, that affected his ability to work on the fourth movie in the series. In the last few years, however, he seems to have been recovering, as he commented during the 2014 Tokyo International Film Festival:
“I would like to once again express my gratitude to all the supportive people in my life, as well as to the fans who’ve supported my works and all the people who’ve watched them. It is because of you that I’m able to make anime and movies. Thank you.”
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Anno was also involved with other projects such as Shin Godzilla and The Wind Rises by Hayo Miyazaki and claimed it made the Evangelion movie delay longer than it should have.
Movie Screenings During The Pandemic
As this will likely be Hideaki Anno’s last Evangelion movie, the screenings of Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time offer a rare opportunity to see new Evangelion content on a big screen. So undoubtedly, large audiences are expected to gather at the screenings. The original 26-episode series has inspired a generation of anime fans and perhaps the story will resonate even more with the isolation common in these times of COVID-19 imposed isolation. The movies are expected to screen from January 23, 2024.