New Naruto Anime Could Be Announced Soon: Here's Everything We Know

It was March 2023 when the Naruto anime remake was first announced as part of the series' 20th anniversary. The project consisted of four special episodes, re-animated with modern technology. We even got a spectacular teaser of what this would look like, in the form of a 10-minute trailer showing some of the most iconic scenes of the anime, updated with a modern look. And then, nothing.

After being originally scheduled for September 2023, an official statement in August of that year announced a delay to improve the quality of the episodes. Since then, the project has been more silent than a skilled shinobi. Animation studio Pierrot has been busy with Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, leaving fans to wonder just what happened to the four new episodes of Naruto. Some speculated that, after the incredibly positive reception of the trailer, the powers-that-be decided that four episodes just weren't enough, and secretly greenlit a full remake. Whatever the truth may be, it will probably come to light soon, at New York Comic Con 2026.

As announced by Viz Media and Shueisha, the Naruto franchise will have a panel at New York Comic Con on Oct. 10. This wouldn't be particularly exciting news by itself, but the announcement came with the specification that a "new project" will be revealed. Moreover, Viz added the tagline "Could this be the start of something big? Stay tuned for more!"

Naruto fans have been "staying tuned" for more than three years at this point. The initial feeling of excitement sparked by the "Road of Naruto" trailer was slowly replaced by one of disappointment. For many, the perception was the franchise was not treated as a priority by its owners, despite its indisputable popularity. Furthermore, the new projects announced over the past few years turned out to be relatively secondary initiatives, such as video games or exhibitions. While any fan would be happy to see their beloved series kept alive, the hype generated by the 20th anniversary announcement ended up having a detrimental effect on the community due to the constant delays.

However, the stars are lining up again now. October 2027 will mark the 25th anniversary of the Naruto anime, so it's entirely possible that a remake will be announced at New York Comic Con, with a release date scheduled for 2027. Earlier this year, in May, a TV Tokyo investors' Q&A revealed that the broadcaster has "several projects planned" for the anniversary, which is seen as "the beginning of a new stage." TV Tokyo is where Naruto originally aired in Japan, so there's a chance that a big return to the channel is in the works.

Still, the anime industry has changed dramatically since the days when Naruto was airing. The weekly episode model, which put significant strain on the producers and animators, and led to fluctuating quality and an abundance of filler episodes, has been almost entirely replaced by a seasonal model. Modern anime series have to deliver in terms of visual quality to appease increasingly demanding fans. Luckily, Pierrot has shown it's more than up to the task with its work on Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War.

Hopefully, Naruto fans will be rewarded for their patience on Oct. 10. Interestingly, with Dragon Ball Super also returning this fall, and a teased new Bleach project that could be announced after the end of Thousand-Year Blood War, 2027 could be the year of the return of all four of the series that contributed to making anime the entertainment juggernaut it is today (One Piece never went away, and it's even launching an anime remake). Let's just pray that the New York Comic Con announcement won't end up being another exhibition.