A new short teaser for the movie has also been released.
Back in January 2026, it was announced that the “Armored Trooper VOTOMS” franchise is getting a new anime project titled “Die Graue Hexe” (The Grey Witch).
It was finally revealed in a new trailer that the project is a two-part film. The first part of Armored Trooper VOTOMS: Die Graue Hexe will premiere theatrically in Japan on 20 November, 2026.
Armored Trooper VOTOMS: Die Graue Hexe Part 1
Premiere date: 20 November, 2026
Studio: Sunrise, Production I.G.
Streaming platform: yet to be revealed
Who are working on the Armored Trooper VOTOMS: Die Graue Hexe movies?
Sunrise, the studio behind the original VOTOMS mecha anime series is creating the Die Graue Hexe movies as a commemorative project to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Sunrise is collaborating with Production I.G. (Haikyu!!, Kaiju No. 8) for the movies. Mamoru Oshii (Angel’s Egg, Ghost in the Shell movie) is directing the movies with Ryosuke Takahashi, the creator and director of the Armored Trooper VOTOMS anime, serving as the supervisor.
The comment from Mamoru Oshii states (machine translated):
I was a huge fan of the original Armored Trooper VOTOMS, and always wanted to create something like it. Some of you might be wondering if we’re going to throw in some standing-style soba noodles together, but I’m taking this seriously. We are making a serious war action film.
The comment from Ryosuke Takahashi states (machine translated):
Every film has a director’s original ‘touch’, and I’m a big fan of the ‘Oshii touch’ myself. Now that he’s working on VOTOMS, I can’t wait to see what his ‘touch’ brings to it.
Shinobu Tsuneki (Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These) and Yoshihiro Sono (Armored Trooper Votoms: AT Stories manga illustrator) are both working on the films’ mecha designs. Kenjii Kawai, Mamoru Oshii’s longtime collaborator, is composing the music. No information about the movie’s cast has been revealed yet.
What is Armored Trooper VOTOMS: Die Graue Hexe about?
Unfortunately, not many details about the upcoming movie’s plot has been spared yet other than the fact that it will be a serious war movie with gritty action. The original Armored Trooper VOTOMS anime came out in 1983 and had 52 episodes. Since then, many spin-offs and sequels have adorned fans’ screens over the years. However, the last VOTOMS project, an OVA titled Alone Again came out in 2011, which means fans have been waiting for 15 years for something new.
The original 1983 VOTOMS anime is set in a war between the Gilgamesh Confederation and the Balarant Union. The unit which dominates the battles is known as VOTOMS (Vertical One-man Tank for Offense & Maneuvers). The protagonist Chirico Cuvie is a member of the elite Gilgamesh VOTOMS unit. But things change when he is betrayed by his comrades and branded as a traitor. Cuvie crosses paths with a mysterious woman who can change his life.