Image Credit: Netflix
Netflix took to the stage at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival to unveil its next huge wave of anime programming—and to no one’s surprise, the future of the medium looks incredibly bright at the streamer. Here’s all the announcements, coverage, first impressions and more.
Yuji Yamano, Netflix’s director of anime content, started off the panel by reiterating some staggering stats dropped earlier: Last year alone, anime were viewed over 1.5 billion times on Netflix globally. With titles distributed in 34 languages in over 190 countries, 80% of subscribers watching anime access dubbed audio. The back half of 2025 was the most watched anime on Netflix, so, to that extent, Netflix is arguably not meeting demand with its supply.
But to continue that momentum, Netflix is leaning heavily on its “creative-first, local-first” approach, doubling down on historic partnerships with powerhouse studios like MAPPA, Studio Colorado, and Kyoto Animation in addition to its own lineup.
Here are the full details of every major title, announcement, and sneak peek from Netflix’s Annecy presentation, as well as some impressions:
a piece
Release date: February 2027
studio: WIT Studio
The highly anticipated ground-up remake of Eiichiro Oda’s famous pirate epic is officially taking aim February 2027 Release window, which was already announced. Produced by WIT Studio (attack on Titan, spy x family) and directed by Masashi Koizuka, the series promises to capture the magic of Luffy’s early adventures with an evolving visual style and breathtaking scale.
Director Koizuka revealed that they are completely rethinking the visual composition, including diving deeper into the production design of the world from a new perspective. As a big bonus, composer Yuki Hayashi (my hero academia) is providing the score, which has grown to an epic 300 tracks.
Attendees in Annecy were given a top-secret screening of the first minute of Episode 1. For full context, I haven’t seen any of the main anime other than clips on social media, but the scope of what we saw was vastly expanded, with shots of multiple boats sailing in a 3D ocean and mass executions with spectators as far as the eye could see. The scale of what they’re doing with this new series is dramatically larger. My only complaint is that the clips shown seem to have much of their color washed out, but that was probably more a reflection of the demand for these shots.
Expect more footage in the near future, perhaps even ahead of a planned additional showcase of the series at Anime Expo LA next weekend. For now, here’s the Episode 1 episodic art that was released to the public today:
silly night
Release date: 2026
studio: sunrise x squad
Netflix’s announcement this panel may be the biggest shock to the industry silly nightA brand new dystopian sci-fi series is coming exclusively in 2026. Real title? The project was developed by two of Japan’s most famous animation studios: Sunrise (gundam, cowboy bebop) and shaft (Puella Magi Madoka Magica). Of course, this was only recently teased, but we’ve got some new details.
Based on the award-winning manga, silly night It is set on a far-future Earth that is covered in eternal winter and night. To survive, humanity uses a desperate technique called “transfluorification”, which turns humans into plants to generate precious oxygen. Directed by Atsushi Yukawa (who previously worked as director on Makoto Shinkai Suzume), the teaser trailer promises a haunting character-driven survival drama.
Image Credit: Netflix
ribbon hero
Release date: 8 August 2026
studio: twin engine
Osamu Tezuka’s groundbreaking 1953 classic, princess knightis getting a radically bold reimagining in the form of a feature-length Netflix film directed by Yuki Igarashi.
Igarashi took the stage to explain his deep love of Tezuka’s work and his mission to translate the pioneer’s legacy for a modern global audience. Rather than a standard adaptation, this new film is based entirely on dramatization incorporating stage-play motifs inspired by the female Takarazuka revue (which was originally inspired by Tezuka). Igarashi has teased a highly experimental visual style that blends traditional anime, cut-out art animation, CG, and even live-action elements. Location scouting for the film’s “Goldland” took place in the Czech Republic, giving the setting a distinctive, atmospheric Eastern European aesthetic.
We have a lot of coverage ribbon hero Coming, including our own interview with Igarashi, published today! We also found several new photos, four of which we’ve embedded below.
spark of tomorrow
Release date: July 5 (weekly)
studio: kyoto animation
Kyoto Animation fans (Violet Evergarden, a silent voice) won’t have to wait long for his next masterpiece. Netflix will stream from July 5 spark of tomorrow Weekly, as previously announced. Directed by Minoru Ota, this ambitious new project is a story of rebirth, dreams and hope during the dawn of the electric age. Attendees were treated to a behind-the-scenes interview with the director as well as an exclusive look at footage from one episode.
Other major teases and studio updates
- Sakamoto days and returning hits: The upcoming action-comedy was briefly discussed at the presentation sakamoto dayPlus the Annecy crowd was given an exclusive, restricted look at the highly anticipated Season 2 of a global top 10 anime hit, with a release planned for the fall soon.
- Studio Partnership: Yamano publicized Netflix’s ongoing strategic partnership with MAPPA, and confirmed that the streamer is currently working on its fourth collaborative feature film with Studio Colorido (following hits like one whisker away).
The presentation concluded by giving Jermaine Turner, Director of Adult Animation, the right to screen three titles:
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2
First up, Netflix is heading back to Night City! Turner teased that when Season 1 dropped, it did the impossible: It turned a troubled-launch video game into a full-fledged cultural phenomenon and won Anime of the Year (though game fixes and improvements played an equal part in brand restoration, but we’ll let that slide in the future). Now, Studio Trigger is back to do it again.
Turner confirmed this Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 Studio Trigger will feature the “comedic action, emotional intensity and creator-driven storytelling” for which the studio is renowned. Importantly, the creative minds that gave Season 1 its distinct visual identity and emotional weight are returning. Director Kai Igarashi, lead character designer Kano Ichigo, and collaborator Masahiko Otsuka are all back on board. As Turner said, in anime, “the creators matter as much as the IP”, and with this dream team intact, Netflix is clearly hoping to change that. cyberpunk franchise once again in a massive global event.
A 30-second teaser trailer was previewed, and we can probably expect it to hit our screens later this week, given that the title is confirmed to be at Anime Expo LA, where we’re expecting a more extensive preview. The only first glance that has come forth has come from those (as) Nexus Point News) who photographed artwork around the city.
blue eye samurai (season 2)
Next, Turner highlights the Emmy Award winner blue eye samurai. While technically written and produced in the US and animated at Blue Spirit Studios in France, Turner stressed that the show’s success comes from how fluently Western creators are using classic anime archetypes and visual grammar.
Season 2 will see our wandering, revenge-obsessed Ronin, Mizu, leaving Japan. Accompanied by her captive – ruthless “big bad” Abijah Fowler – Mizu is on a ship headed for the tough streets of London. Turner confirmed that the new season will fully retain its seinen (adult-targeted) anime DNA with graphic violence, moral ambiguity, and cinematic fight choreography deeply inspired by Akira Kurosawa. Zatoichi movies, and legendary anime like Samurai Champloo And ninja scroll. (You can read our full, detailed description of the special Season 2 clip here!).
The fights are beautifully choreographed, as you’d probably expect as a default after Season 1, with dynamic movements and absolutely brutal violence, with Mizu easily dislocating the bones of most of the grunts she’s pitted against.
bass x machina
Finally, Turner unveiled a brand new original project: bass x machina. Brought to us by Studio Mir (legend of korra) with producer LeSean Thomas (Yasuke, cannon breakers) and executive producer/actor Brian Tyree Henry, the series looks to be a wild, ambitious genre mash-up.
The show has been described as a mix of steampunk, western, supernatural horror, and family drama. However, Turner promises that this genre-blending isn’t just a cheap gimmick; It is rooted in “anime thinking”, where emotional cores such as family, survival and sacrifice are prioritized over heavy lore. bass x machina represents the ultimate creative synthesis – a project born from a new generation of creators like Thomas who grew up watching American cartoons and Japanese anime together, speaking both cinematic languages simultaneously fluently.
What’s your highlight from the Netflix Annecy Anime Showcase? Let us know in the comments below.
