The creator of Akira returns in grand style: Katsuhiro Otomo has just announced a new animated film with his new studio.

Katsuhiro Otomo is one of the greatest geniuses the industry has ever presented to the public. The manga artist was primarily responsible for Akira , a timeless masterpiece and one of the most important films in history. After years out of the spotlight, Otomo has finally announced his return.

Through social media, fans learned that Otomo is already working on a completely original new film, and that he will be doing so with a newly created studio called Oval Gear , which aims to pass on the artist's experience to future animators in order to create a legacy worthy of his talent.

Unfortunately, the project remains completely unknown, but there is something interesting that might offer a clue. On the studio's official website, the image used to announce the new company is from a film that has been in development since 2019 and about which very little is known: Orbital Era.

In this story, the narrative revolves around a group of young people trying to survive as best they can in a space colony under construction. Living in such a unique environment, both Earth society and the colony's inhabitants have undergone significant changes that will trigger events with a profound impact on the lives of these protagonists.

It's possible this is the unannounced project, although it should be noted that it still appears to be linked to Sunrise, the studio with which Otomo originally intended to develop this work. However, considering that the studio is using this film as a reference on its website, it's likely that the intellectual property has changed hands and that Oval Gear is now responsible for this adaptation.