In 1995, Tatsunoko Production and
Gainax premiered an anime series created by Hideaki Anno, one that would grip
the worldwide anime fandom with its story, characters and themes. “Neon Genesis
Evangelion” showcased dysfunctional family dynamics and interpersonal
relationships spiced up with a post-apocalyptic setting and battles between
giant robots (though not exactly) against beings called Angels. The series was
followed by two films, particularly the “End of Evangelion” which was pretty
much mind-bending to first-time viewers. As if taking things in mind, Anno
rebooted the anime as the “Rebuild” films starting 2007. The fourth and final installment
has been delayed since the third premiered in 2012. Almost a decade later, it
finally released in Japan.
March 8, 2021 was the
long-awaited premiere of “Evangelion 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time,” the concluding
chapter of the “Evangelion” film reboot that began a decade and a half ago. Comic Book Resources notes that with the
final movie out in Japan, the wait has begun for its eventual release, in
whatever form, on Western shores particularly in North America. The normal
format of releasing anime films stateside was direct to home media, with a
limited cinema release if the feature is popular enough. But when does it
actually arrive?
It should be remembered that
production on “Evangelion 3.0+10” has been significantly delayed. Its first
announced premiere was 2015, or three years after “Evangelion 3.0 You Can (Not)
Redo.” Creator and director Hideaki Anno however became involved in other film
projects, pushing back the release so many years some fans felt the movie was “cursed”
and may never come out. And now that “3.0+1.0” did finally release, there is
still the localization gap that transitions Japanese media to Western
consumers. The “Evangelion” films “1.0,” “2.0” and “3.0” all had two-year gaps
before they hit US shores (2007-09, 2009-11, and 2012-14).
Are American fans going to have
to wait until 2023 to get a localized final “Rebuild of Evangelion” movie?
Perhaps that would allow a theatrical release similar to “3.0” in 2014. More
optimistic analysts however point to changes in the anime localization scene
long after that year, with how recent anime films like “Your Name” (2016) and “Weathering
with You” (2019) only had gaps from a year to as little as six months. Could
that apply to this heavily-anticipated piece of Japanese pop culture long-appreciated
by Westerners? That sounds nice.
But while waiting, the original “Evangelion”
series is streaming on Netflix since 2019, so fans will not get bored waiting.
Back in Japan, “3.0+1.0” has now earned almost 828 million yen ($7.6 million)
in its home box office since premiering.
Image from ComicBook.com
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