Galaxy Express 999 is getting a new theatrical film after 48 years

Nearly 50 years after its debut, Galaxy Express 999 is officially coming back. On July 25, the official X account of Leijisha — the company representing the late creator Leiji Matsumoto — announced a new theatrical anime film. Toei Animation, which produced the original 1978 TV series, is returning to helm the project. Veteran director Rintaro, who directed the acclaimed 1979 Galaxy Express 999 theatrical film, is providing the story concept.

Makiko Matsumoto, Leiji Matsumoto's eldest daughter and representative director of Leijisha, posted a heartfelt statement alongside the announcement. She described the new film as a continuation of her father's lifelong dream. "Creating animated films has been Matsumoto's dream since childhood and his greatest goal in life," she wrote. "That unwavering passion will continue forever, as he races along the silver rails that traverse the vast galaxy." No release date or additional production details have been announced yet.

Galaxy Express 999 began as a manga serialized in 1977 and became one of Matsumoto's defining works alongside Space Battleship Yamato and Captain Harlock. The story follows a young boy named Tetsuro who boards a steam-locomotive spaceship traveling across the galaxy, using each stop as a lens to examine mortality, loneliness, and what humanity risks losing in the pursuit of immortality. What set it apart from other space adventures of its era — and still does — is how little interest Matsumoto had in spectacle for its own sake. The series is a coming-of-age story wrapped in some of the most visually striking imagery of late-1970s anime, and its influence on the medium's approach to blending science fiction with personal, emotional storytelling is hard to overstate. Rintaro's involvement is a meaningful throughline — his 1979 film is widely regarded as one of the high points of the franchise.

For longtime fans, the announcement lands as both a tribute to Matsumoto, who passed away in 2023, and a genuine continuation of the world he built. No community reaction details have been shared yet, but the surprise announcement on a Saturday in late July already signals this is being treated as a major event. For anyone who has never seen Galaxy Express 999, the timing couldn't be better to catch up before the new film arrives.