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Hideaki Anno Says His Future Is Blank Slate for 1st Time in 30 Years
posted on by Kim Morrissy
At a Shin Kamen Rider stage event on Sunday, director Hideaki Anno spoke about his future creative plans—revealing that for the first time in over 30 years, his future is a blank slate.
"Nothing about my next work has been decided yet," he said. "For the first time in over 30 years, my future is a blank slate. I've worked so much that I want to take a break."
Nevertheless, when asked if a sequel for Shin Kamen Rider was on the horizon, Anno responded that when he was first developing the pitch for the film, he left things open for a potential sequel. As a result, he has many ideas in mind, including a tentative title: Shin Kamen Rider: Masker World.
"Realistically speaking, I'm wiped clean right now, but I do still have my ideas. That's if people say they want a sequel," he commented. He even hinted that the hypothetical sequel would involve the Japanese government and Shocker (the terrorist organization), prompting the actors to exclaim, "Are you even allowed to say that?!"
The film opened in Japan on March 17. Anno directed, scripted, and produced the film. Shōtarō Ishinomori is credited as the original creator.
In addition to co-writing and directing the Evangelion franchise, Anno is the writer and chief director of the Shin Godzilla film and the writer of the Shin Ultraman film.
Anno previously stated in a Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time fan Q&A in March 2022 that his involvement with the Evangelion franchise is over, although he welcomes others creating Evangelion-related stories.
Source: Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan-Web
