‘The Ghost in the Shell’ reboot anime drops first trailer, confirms July premiere

The upcoming reboot of The Ghost in the Shell has officially locked a premiere date, with studio Science SARU releasing the anime’s first full trailer alongside a new key visual featuring Public Security Section 9.

Based on Masamune Shirow’s influential cyberpunk manga, the new adaptation appears to lean closer to the source material than earlier screen versions such as Ghost in the Shell and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. The trailer showcases a grittier visual style and a more manga-accurate portrayal of Major Motoko Kusanagi and her elite cybernetic task force.

Set in the year 2029, the series follows full-body cyborg Motoko Kusanagi as she leads Public Security Section 9 through investigations involving cybercrime, political conspiracies and the emergence of the mysterious hacker known as the Puppet Master.

The reboot is directed by Mokochan, who previously worked as assistant director on Dandadan, while novelist EnJoe Toh is handling series composition and scripts. Character design duties are being overseen by Shuhei Handa, known for work on Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. Music for the series is being composed by Taisei Iwasaki, Ryo Konishi and Yuki Kanesaka.

The production has already generated strong anticipation among anime fans online, particularly because of Science SARU’s reputation for visually experimental projects like The Colors Within.

The anime will also make an early appearance at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France this June, where the first two episodes are scheduled to screen as part of a special event presentation featuring members of the creative team.

The new Ghost in the Shell series is set to stream globally on Prime Video beginning July 7.