Sad news for excited Moonies out there: Toei Animation revealed last Thursday that the release of the two-part Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Eternal (Pretty Guardians Sailor Moon Eternal The MOVIE) has been delayed to 2021. The first film will premiere on January 8, 2021, while the second is slated for a February 11, 2021 release. As with all anime delays, this was also caused by the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The first film was previously announced for a September 21, 2020 release in Japan. No release date was announced for the second film before the delay.
The original cast from the Sailor Moon Crystal anime series returns for the movie. They are:
· Kotono Mitsuishi as Usagi Tsukino / Sailor Moon
· Hisako Kanemoto as Ami Mizuno / Sailor Mercury
· Rina Satou as Rei Hino / Sailor Mars
· Ami Koshimizu as Makoto Kino / Sailor Jupiter
· Shizuka Itou as Minako Aino / Sailor Venus
· Misato Fukuen as Chibi-Usa / Sailor Chibi Moon
Helios/Pegasus will be played by Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, who is also known for playing Kirito in Sword Art Online as well as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba’s Inosuke.
Toei has previously announced that they will be co-producing the films with Studio DEEN. Chiaki Kon, who directed the third season of Sailor Moon Crystal (which critics deemed an improvement from the first two seasons) will be returning to direct the two films. Character design will be done by Kazuko Tadano, who is credited for the same role in the original anime. The script will be penned by JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s Kazuyuki Fudeyasu, with the manga’s author herself Naoko Takeuchi serving as supervisor to the movies.
The two-part film is part of Sailor Moon Crystal, the modern reiteration of the beloved anime classic. Unlike the 90s anime, Crystal adapted the entire manga’s story and also stayed closer to the manga’s art style. Three TV seasons were released so far for Crystal: the first centered on the Dark Kingdom arc from the manga, the second on the arrival of the Black Moon Clan and Chibiusa, and the third featured the Death Busters and the introduction of the Outer Senshi (Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, Pluto). Most Moonies were waiting for news of a fourth season, which is supposed to adapt the Dead Moon arc; now, we’ll be getting two movies instead.
Source: Anime News Network