The Armored Trooper Votoms franchise is returning to the spotlight as a cornerstone of the Sunrise 50th Anniversary celebrations. The upcoming project, Soukou Kihei Votoms: Haiiro no Hexe (Armored Trooper Votoms: Die Graue Hexe), will debut as a two-part film series, with the first installment confirmed for a November 20 theatrical release in Japan.
The newly unveiled trailer highlights the project's ambitious scope, confirming that industry veteran Mamoru Oshii is directing the film at Sunrise. Oshii is also co-writing the script with Kei Yamamura, while the legendary Kenji Kawai returns to the mecha genre to compose the score. Production I.G is providing additional production support, ensuring a high level of technical polish for this latest entry in the long-running sci-fi drama.
The voice cast features a heavy-hitting lineup of industry talent. Miyuki Sawashiro takes the lead role of Ash Vamps, supported by Mabuki Andou as Maki Stauffenberg. They are joined by an extensive ensemble of established veterans including Shinichiro Miki, Yuuki Kaji, Yuuichi Nakamura, Tomokazu Sugita, Daisuke Ono, and Sumire Uesaka. The visual aesthetic is being crafted by a team of character designers—Tetsuya Nishio, Takashi Kojima, and Shingo Ogiso—working from original designs by Kazuchika Kise.
This release continues the legacy of a franchise that has defined the "Real Robot" subgenre since its 1983 television debut. While the series has expanded through decades of OVAs and spin-offs—such as the Pailsen Files and the 2011 sequel Koei Futatabi—Haiiro no Hexe represents a major new chapter for the Sunrise studio, grounding itself in the military and space-faring themes that have kept the series relevant for over 40 years.
