Some announcements feel like time travel. On Saturday 25 July 2026, Toei Animation confirmed a brand-new Galaxy Express 999 theatrical film — nearly half a century after the space train first pulled into cinemas, and with the same man shaping the story.
What's been announced
The news broke via the franchise's official X account: Toei is producing a new anime film based on Leiji Matsumoto's classic, with legendary director Rintarō handling the original story draft. Matsumoto's production company, Leijisha, is also involved. No release date, no cast, and no further staff yet — this is a "the train is coming" announcement, not a timetable.
Makiko Matsumoto — the late creator's eldest daughter and Leijisha's representative director — addressed fans directly in the announcement, as reported by Anime Atelier in July 2026:
"We apologize for the long wait."
She also described the project as a long-cherished dream of her father's. Matsumoto died in February 2023, aged 85, making this the first big-screen 999 project of the post-Matsumoto era.
Why Rintarō matters
He's not a guest star — he's the reason the 1979 film is a classic. Rintarō directed the original Galaxy Express 999 movie, released on 4 August 1979, which ran roughly 130 minutes and took an estimated ¥4.2 billion at the Japanese box office. He returned for 1981's Adieu Galaxy Express 999, and later directed Metropolis, X/1999, and Harmagedon. He's now 85 — the same age Matsumoto reached — and still drafting stories for the train he helped make famous.
The story so far
- The manga — Leiji Matsumoto's original ran in Weekly Shonen King from January 1977 to November 1981, collected in 18 volumes.
- The TV series — 113 episodes, aired from 1978 to 1981, animated by Toei.
- The films — three so far: 1979, 1981, and 1998's Eternal Fantasy.
- The premise — orphan Tetsuro boards a space train alongside the mysterious Maetel, chasing a machine body and the immortality it promises.
For the record: in the story, the 999 only calls at Earth once a year. Off screen, it's been 28 years since the last film. Fashionably late — but the train is running again.