Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 Delayed a Second Time Due to COVID-19

Evangelion continues to draw in fans as one of anime’s most critically acclaimed franchises, but not even Hideaki Anno can overcome a pandemic alone. The creator has spent years working on the Rebuild of Evangelion films as its final installation was meant to debut last year. Of course, the pandemic changed the movie’s course, and a new report confirms Anno has had to push Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 a second time due to the pandemic.

A statement was put forth in Japan overnight from the film’s team. It was there fans learned the fourth and final Rebuild of Evangelion movie is being delayed indefinitely. The movie was slated to debut on January 23, but Japan’s new State of Emergency has forced Studio Khara to rethink the release.

Of course, this is the second time Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 has had to delay. This movie was originally meant to go live in June 27, 2020 but was shifted backwards due to COVID-19. Before that, Evangelion was expected to go live in 2015, but Anno had to put the film on hold after agreeing to direct Shin Godzilla. After the kaiju flick was released, production resumed on Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 in late 2016, so this movie is more than six years in the making now.

At this point, there is no word on when this new Evangelion film will go live. The indefinite delay is a blow to fans, but Studio Khara is at least finished with the project. All we have to wait for is Japan to get a better grip on its spread of COVID-19. The nation has proved to be a model of control in this pandemic, but a recent winter surge has prompted several major prefectures to lock down as of late. But after the State of Emergency is lifted, Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 will hopefully be able to find a release date ASAP.

What do you make of this new report? Did you expect this delay or…? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.