Nippon Animation’s 3 New Anime Include a Kubrick-Reimagination

Nippon Animation unveiled three new original anime series, targeting audiences well beyond the children’s demographic, at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival Market (MIFA). The June 23 announcement included the sci-fi comedy 20001: An Earth Odyssey and Alices, a retake on Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.

The upcoming anime were unveiled by Salamander Inc. founder and Netflix’s former chief anime producer Taiki Sakurai, and Alices director Yumiko Yoshizawa. The showcase was a celebratory panel for the studio’s 50th Anniversary, which was on June 3, 2026.

20001: An Earth Odyssey Sends Aliens to Study a Vanished Earth

Sakurai’s first announcement, 20001: An Earth Odyssey, is a sci-fi black comedy set long after humanity’s extinction. The story follows aliens attempting to understand human civilization through the objects left behind, leading to a series of humorous misunderstandings inspired by everyday artifacts.

Sakurai further emphasized that the visitors “can never reach the reality of humanity, because they respect humans too much.” The Kubrick-referencing title, 20001: An Earth Odyssey, is actually inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.

20001: An Earth Odyssey is directed by Haruki Kasugamori, known for Astro Note and The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse. Industry veteran director and designer Kazuto Nakazawa, whose works include Samurai Champloo and Kill Bill: Vol. 1, is handing character design.

Nippon Animation's Taverna!!! Blends Food, Family, and Episodic Storytelling

The second title, Taverna!!!, shifts to contemporary slice-of-life drama with episodic narratives in its 12-episode structure. Sakurai said the gourmet drama about a half-Japanese, half-Italian family running a restaurant grew from his own love of cooking.

Each episode introduces a guest whose problem is eased by a meal prepared at the restaurant. Additionally, Sakurai informed that Taverna!!! will also receive a manga adaptation.

Nippon Animation Reframes a Childhood Favorite With Yoshizawa in Alices

Yoshizawa, who described herself as “a very big fan of Alice,” is developing Nippon Animation’s six-episode series, Alices. It revisits Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with an original interpretation centered on Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration behind Lewis Carroll’s classic.

Unlike most Carroll adaptations, Alices will not directly adapt the novel’s fantasy world, but rather center on Alice Liddell’s relationship with the fictional Alice of the novel. According to Yoshizawa, this anime’s format is designed to allow an eventual film compilation.

While Alices is still early in production, the previewed concept art at Annecy has shown a visually rich Wonderland-inspired setting. Taverna!!! and An Earth Odyssey also appear to be in early stages of development, with shared visuals and details remaining limited.

Salamander Pictures will also join 20001 and Alices productions, alongside Nippon Animation. Further production details, including creative staff and tentative release windows for the three anime, were not announced.

The Annecy presentation suggests Nippon Animation is balancing its heritage with changing modern market demands. Nippon Animation has historically been associated with family-focused adaptations such as Anne of Green Gables, Tales of Little Women, and Chibi Maruko-Chan. The lineup presented at Annecy targets various audience demographics, underscoring a strategic shift.