48 years later, anime’s most beautiful sci-fi space epic is officially making a comeback

Leiji Matsumoto’s masterpiece turned a space adventure into a meditation on immortality and loss

Nearly half a century after Galaxy Express 999 first carried audiences across the cosmos, one of anime’s most influential space adventures is preparing to board the train once again. In a surprise post on X on Saturday, July 25, a new theatrical Galaxy Express 999 anime film was announced by the official account of its creator, the late Leiji Matsumoto. Toei Animation, the same studio that originally helmed the project in 1978, is returning to produce the film with veteran director Rintaro — who helmed the acclaimed 1979 Galaxy Express 999 movie — providing the story concept.

Makiko Matsumoto, the eldest daughter of the legendary mangaka and representative director of his company, Leijisha, wrote a heartfelt message to celebrate the announcement. In the statement, she reflected on the long-awaited return as something her father had dreamed of creating, describing the new project as a continuation of the journey he began decades ago.

“Creating animated films has been Matsumoto's dream since childhood and his greatest goal in life,” Matsumoto wrote, translated from Japanese. “That unwavering passion will continue forever, as he races along the silver rails that traverse the vast galaxy.”

For longtime fans, the news is a reminder that Galaxy Express 999 remains one of anime’s most enduring works — a story about youth, loss, loneliness, and the search for meaning that has continued to resonate across generations. It’s a storied return for arguably one of the best anime ever made, and is still considered a masterpiece to this day. For anyone who hasn’t experienced Galaxy Express 999, there has never been a better time to step aboard.

Galaxy Express 999 follows a young boy living in a transhumanist future where humanity can obtain mechanical bodies and achieve a form of immortality. After losing his mother, Tetsuro Hoshino dreams of traveling aboard the legendary Galaxy Express 999 train to a distant planet where he can receive a mechanical body of his own. Along the way, he is joined by the mysterious Maetel, a woman whose elegance and melancholy have made her one of anime’s most iconic figures.

While its setting is filled with futuristic technology, alien worlds, and interstellar travel, Matsumoto was less interested in spectacle than he was in the emotional weight of the journey. Galaxy Express 999 was such a fascination of its time for how little it resembles the space adventures that came before it (and, arguably, after it as well). The original manga began serialization in 1977, eventually becoming one of Matsumoto’s defining works alongside Space Battleship Yamato and Captain Harlock. Its influence can still be felt throughout anime, particularly in the way it blends science fiction with deeply personal storytelling.

At its core, Galaxy Express 999 is simply a coming-of-age tale wrapped in some of the most gorgeous imagery you’ll find from the era. The train becomes a symbol for growing up, and every stop introduces Tetsuro to another world and another tragedy, forcing him to question what he truly wants and what humanity must sacrifice in pursuit of perfection. Rather than presenting immortality as a miracle, Matsumoto explores it as a temptation — one that risks stripping away the very things that make life meaningful.

The 1979 theatrical film, directed by Rintaro, remains the definitive gateway into the series (and it’s still available on the Internet Archive). It condenses the sprawling story into a stunning cinematic experience filled with dreamlike imagery, unforgettable character designs, and a sense of cosmic loneliness rarely matched in animation. That largely comes down to Rintaro's vision — he once argued that animation “is all about creating images.” The director would go on to become a legend in the anime industry through projects like the “Labyrinth Labyrinthos” segment of Neo Tokyo, the underrated X: The Movie (1996), and Metropolis (2001).

No matter how you experience it, the powerful themes resting under the narrative make Galaxy Express 999 a compelling watch. But the story isn’t remembered simply for being one of the first great anime space operas. It endures because its questions about humanity and existence are eternal. What does it mean to be human? Is a longer life necessarily a better one? And how do we move forward when the people and places that shaped us are constantly left behind?

Those themes have echoed through decades of science fiction, from Star Wars to Neon Genesis Evangelion, but Matsumoto approached them with a unique kind of quiet sadness. His universe was filled with endless stars, yet his stories were always about the people searching for connection in the darkness.

With a new film now on the horizon — a project that will likely take several years to come to fruition — Galaxy Express 999 is once again inviting audiences aboard. For longtime fans, it is a return to a beloved world. For newcomers, it is a chance to discover the masterpiece that helped define what anime could be.

The train is still waiting.

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Galaxy Express 999 is available to stream on Crunchyroll and the Internet Archive.