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Netflix, Twin Engine Produce The Ribbon Hero Anime Film Based on Tezuka's Princess Knight

Netflix announced on Thursday that it and Twin Engine are producing a new anime film titled The Ribbon Hero, based on Osamu Tezuka's Princess Knight (Ribbon no Kishi) manga that will debut on Netflix worldwide in August 2026. Yuuki Igarashi (Star Wars: Visions "Lop & Ocho," Jujutsu Kaisen first ending sequence) is directing the anime film at his new anime studio OUTLINE as his feature-length directorial debut.

Igarashi commented on his work on the film:

"For this film, I poured in my respect for Osamu Tezuka, the creator of ‘Princess Knight’, for Ichizo Kobayashi of the Takarazuka Revue, which lies at the root of the work, and for the supreme, classic entertainment they brought into the world. They also created their works while overcoming hardships such as infectious diseases and war, and those works became the very foundation of our culture. To everyone living in this era, I hope you enjoy this blood‑stirring, heart‑pounding piece of what I believe is ‘true’ mainstream entertainment."

Kei Mochizuki (LOOPERS visual novel, Twin Star Cyclone Runaway novel, Criminal Girls X game) is designing the characters, with character design cooperation from Mai Yoneyama (Kiznaiver, "COLORs" music video). Issei Arakaki (Vladlove, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Detonation, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha EXCEEDS Gun Blaze Vengeance) is the animation character designer. Cédric Hérole (Wait for Me, Magikarp) is credited for artistic direction.

Kodansha USA Publishing most recently released Tezuka's Princess Knight manga as a one volume omnibus in August 2022. Kodansha USA Publishing describes the manga:

A mischief-making angel's prank goes too far when the newborn princess of Silverland ends up with two hearts—one male and one female. Since the laws of the realm only allow a male heir to ascend the throne, Princess Sapphire is raised as a prince. Will the avaricious Duke Duralumin discover her secret and snatch the crown for his own son?

Tezuka launched the manga in Kodansha's Nakayoshi magazine in January 1958. Vertical released the manga in two volumes in print in 2011 and digitally in 2015.

Source: Press release