Highlights
- The upcoming Made in Abyss film trilogy begins with Made in Abyss: Awakening Mystery, set for a fall 2026 theatrical release.
- The trilogy continues with Riko, Reg, Nanachi, and Faputa’s journey into the seventh layer of the Abyss.
- Director Masayuki Kojima, studio Kinema Citrus, and writer Hideyuki Kurata will return for the upcoming movie.
The Made in Abyss anime franchise is expanding beyond television and standalone films with a film trilogy, with the first entry, Made in Abyss: Awakening Mystery, being released in fall 2026. The confirmation on Feb 8, 2026, also unveiled a teaser that outlined key staff and narrative direction for the ongoing continuation of the dark fantasy saga.
The upcoming Made in Abyss film trilogy was first announced in 2023, as a sequel to the Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun (Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ōgonkyō) anime (July-Sep, 2022). The project is expected to adapt successive portions of the original Made in Abyss manga by Akihito Tsukushi (serialized since 2012) through a series of feature films rather than traditional TV seasons.
Originally titled Mezameru Shinpi in Japanese, Made in Abyss: Awakening Mystery will continue the narrative of Riko, an orphaned explorer, and her companion, Reg. The introduction positions the “Abyss,” a multilayered vertical cave/hole on the ground, as the only unexplored place in the manga’s world. According to the movie’s official website, the narrative will continue with Reg, Riko, Nanachi, and Faputa’s journey of exploring the seventh layer of the abyss.
Creative Team and Cast Members of Made in Abyss: Awakening Mystery
According to the official teaser and production disclosures, the first film in the trilogy reunites much of the core creative team that defined the franchise’s prior animated iterations. Masayuki Kojima, who has directed the franchise’s anime adaptations since its 2017 debut, will helm the trilogy. Hideyuki Kurata, responsible for series composition and screenplay work in previous entries, returns in the same capacity for Awakening Mystery.
The film’s character designs will be handled by Kazuchika Kise and Yuka Kuroda, both of whom worked on prior Made in Abyss television and film adaptations. Kinema Citrus, the production studio behind the previous segments of Made in Abyss, and famed for The Rising of The Shield Hero and My Happy Marriage, will produce the Awakening Mystery movie.
Along with the previously confirmed staff members, new members attached to the project were announced on Feb 8. Sound effects will be overseen by Haru Yamada (sound director) and Tōru Noguchi. Composer Kevin Penkin will handle the music, while Hiromitsu Iijima will produce it.
Music production company, IRMA LA DOUCE, which was behind previous original music productions for the Made in Abyss franchise, will bear the same responsibility for the trilogy. Kadokawa will also collaborate for music production.
Takeshi Takakura will act as design leader. Three art directors: Teru Sekiguchi, Osamu Masuyama, and Asaki Nakamura (inspired), are reported to be attached to the project. Masayuki Kurosawa will handle editing, while Miyao Yamashita will work as the color key artist. Tsunetaka Ema from T2 Studio is the director of photography for Made in Abyss: Awakening Mystery.
As previously announced, the principal voice cast will also reprise their roles. Miyu Tomita will voice Riko, the protagonist aiming to follow in her mother’s footsteps to become a great cave-explorer. Reg, Riko’s companion since the starting of the manga, will be voiced by Mariya Ise. Nanachi and Faputa, whom Riko and Reg meet during their journey through the Abyss, will be voiced by Shiori Izawa and Misaki Kuno, respectively.
Since its manga debut in 2012 and subsequent anime adaptation in 2017, Made in Abyss has become one of the most discussed dark fantasy franchises in Japanese media, known for its complex world-building and layered character portrayals. The upcoming film trilogy will bring back the popular franchise after the series broadcast ended in 2022.
