Exciting Update on the 'Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway' Anime Series

The official website for the 'Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway' anime has just released a teaser for the upcoming second film in the trilogy! This new installment is titled Kidō Senshi Gundam: Senkō no Hathaway - Circe no Majo (or The Sorcery of Nymph Circe), and it’s set to premiere this winter.

What’s New?

The teaser reveals the return of the main cast and most of the staff from the first film.
Yuichi Kuboki joins as a new color key artist alongside Takako Suzuki.
Yoshinori Sayama, known for his work on Macross Plus, Cowboy Bebop, and Mobile Suit Gundam UC, is credited for display designs.
Yoshihisa Ōyama will serve as the new film’s compositing director of photography, with Manabu Kamitōno handling visual effects.

Behind the Scenes

Director Shukou Murase hinted during the first film’s 4K UHD Blu-ray release event that the second film might not arrive before 2024, which coincides with the next Summer Olympics. Producer Naohiro Ogata shared that the next phase of the series will be set in Australia, though COVID-19 has made it challenging to cover the area, leading the director to simulate flights around the sky using a flight simulator.

Trilogy and Title Significance

The project will be a trilogy, with the second film initially titled Kidō Senshi Gundam: Senkō no Hathaway: San of Bright. The name “San” (サン) can be read as “sun” or “son”, referencing Hathaway Noa, who is the son of Bright Noa. The producer mentioned that this installment will feature some differences from Yoshiyuki Tomino’s original novel series.

Release History and Box Office Success

The first film opened in Japan on June 11, 2021, after multiple delays caused by COVID-19.
It initially was scheduled for July 2020 but was postponed several times.
Despite delays, the film was a hit, selling over 259,074 tickets and earning approximately US$4.77 million in its first three days.
It eventually surpassed 1 billion yen in box office revenue, making it the first Gundam film since 1988’s Char’s Counterattack to do so.
As of October 10, 2021, the film had earned over 2.2 billion yen (about US$19.57 million).
The film is now available for streaming on Netflix in the U.S., starting July 1, 2021.

Final Notes

Director Murase previously teased that the second film might not open before 2024.
The series continues to build excitement among fans worldwide.

Stay tuned for more updates on this highly anticipated anime trilogy!