'Akira' Creator Opens a New Animation Studio With a Website Teasing His Long-Awaited Next Film
More than a decade after his last feature, Katsuhiro Otomo is launching Oval Gear Animation Studio to build a new generation of animators and revive a previously announced sci-fi project.
Summary
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Katsuhiro Otomo, the legendary creator and director behind the sci-fi masterpiece Akira, has officially launched a new production company named Oval Gear Animation Studio
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Oval Gear is currently recruiting artists and production staff—including those without extensive industry experience—for a brand-new, feature-length theatrical project
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While the exact film has not been officially confirmed, the studio’s branding heavily implies it will be Orbital Era, the space-themed sci-fi movie Otomo first announced in 2019
The anime world is bracing for the return of a true visionary. Katsuhiro Otomo, the legendary manga artist and director behind the groundbreaking 1988 cyberpunk masterpiece Akira, is officially stepping back into the director’s chair. However, he isn’t just making a new movie—he is building an entirely new production house. Otomo has announced the launch of Oval Gear Animation Studio, an ambitious new venture designed to foster the next generation of anime talent while finally getting his long-awaited next feature film Orbital Era off the ground.
Based in Tokyo’s Musashino district, Oval Gear Animation Studio was established with a dual purpose. According to the studio’s official mission statement, the goal is to produce global animated works while simultaneously passing on the distinct visual expression, filmmaking methods, and artistic style that Otomo has cultivated over his decades-long career. To achieve this, the studio has put out an open call for animators, in-betweeners, and production staff. In a rare move for a high-profile anime studio, Oval Gear is explicitly encouraging applicants of all experience levels to apply, provided they have basic drawing skills, conversational Japanese fluency, and are “serious about animation.”
As for the studio’s debut project, all signs point to the revival of a concept fans have been waiting years to see. While the title hasn’t been explicitly named in the recruitment posts, the studio’s key branding features a skateboard-toting cosmonaut—the exact same character design used to promote Orbital Era. Otomo originally announced the near-future sci-fi action-adventure back at Anime Expo in 2019 alongside Sunrise studio, but updates on the film had gone completely silent over the last seven years.
The launch of Oval Gear suggests that Otomo has taken full creative control of the project to ensure it matches his exacting standards. Set in an under-construction space colony, Orbital Era will follow a group of boys surviving the throes of fate in a peculiar new society. The establishment of his own dedicated studio also reignites fan hopes for the comprehensive Akira anime series adaptation that was announced concurrently back in 2019.
Katsuhiro Otomo hasn’t directed a full feature film since 2004’s Steamboy, making his return to active production one of the biggest stories in the contemporary anime industry. By using his new studio to personally train the artists bringing his next vision to life, the Akira creator is ensuring his creative legacy will continue to influence the medium for decades to come.
本日未明より、OVAL GEAR animation studio公式サイトがアクセスできない状況となっておりましたが、現在は復旧しております。ご不便・ご迷惑をおかけしましたことをお詫び申し上げます。
The OVAL GEAR animation studio website is now restored. https://t.co/uVLOsXLfES— OVAL GEAR animation studio (@OVAL_GEAR) May 12, 2026
