Hypergalatic Announced by Toei Animation, Shrek, and Sonic the Hedgehog Alumni

Toei Animation is one of the biggest names in anime, and now it is ready to bring its animation global. The studio just announced it is dipping its toes into CGI animation with some Hollywood heavyweights in tow. After all, Toei Animation's Hypergalatic is in the works, and it will feature stars like Adam Devine, Elsie Fisher, and J.K. Simmons.

As you can see below, Hypergalatic certainly leans into Toei Animation's anime roots when it comes to design. The movie will be done using CGI animation, but it has a distinct Saint Seiya and even Dragon Ball flair. As for its story, Hypergalatic will be handled by two men: Naoto Oshima and Joseph Chou.

If you do not know those men by name, you will know their work. Oshima is the original designer of Sonic the Hedgehog, and Chou has an impressive resume as well. The filmmaker has worked on a number of movies including Blade Runner 2022: Black Out, Ghost in the Shell, and the upcoming Lord of the Rings anime feature.

As for its director, the Toei Animation movie is tapping into Shrek. To be specific, David N. Weiss will be directing the English-langauge movie. Moviegoers will know Weiss best for his work on Shrek 2 as well as The Smurfs CGI films.

Hypergalatic promises to bring Toei Animation's storytelling flair to a family-friendly audience. The movie itself will tell the story of a young girl and her younger brother as they uncover a mysterious warrior named Ohkan. The trio set off on a journey to reunite our siblings with their family, and the adventure goes south before long.

"With Hypergalatic, the hugely talented Game Designer Oshima has created a multicultural adventure tale of epic scale – combining memorable global characters with a Japanese Anime aesthetic and a Western approach to storytelling," Toei Animation producer Yoshi Ikezawa shared in a new statement. "We look forward to delivering our brand of quality animation to broader global audiences beyond our existing loyal and committed fan base."

Currently, no release date has been tied to Hypergalatic. The movie is currently in post-production, and distribution rights are being represented by Charades internationally. 

What do you think about this latest Toei Animation endeavor? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!