Hideaki Anno’s Neon Genesis Evangelion has announced a brand new stage play on Feb 2, 2023. The stage play is titled “Evangelion Beyond” and will follow an original storyline with new characters.

The official website of the play describes the plot as:

The story depicts a devastated Earth and its survivors. The 14-year-old boys and girls aboard the “Evangelion” who have discovered the “trump card” for the rebirth of mankind and are pushing forward towards hope. However, Soushi Watamori, a young man with a connection to the project, witnesses the opening of a new door to tragedy. In order to find out the truth, Soushi contacts Mizuho Yu, a woman in a special agency. An original story unfolds in a production unique to the stage.

It was also revealed that Masataka Kubota will play the role of the protagonist Soushi Watamori. Check out his comment below:

“The stage version will be portrayed in a new scenario with a different story and different characters. God, humanity, war, invasion, destruction, and rebirth. I hope to deliver the message that Eva portrays, directly to the audience through theater in this stirring time. I would like to complete BEYOND by taking seriously the challenge of tackling the mountainous wall of Evangelion, which is essentially untouchable.”

Other cast includes:

• Shizuka Ishibashi as Yu Mizuho
• Nijiro Murakami as Tan Hasumi
• Tetsushi Tanaka as Masatsugu Sugо

Takahito Nagata, Akane Sakanoue, Kanna Murata, and Kyoko Miyashita are some of the other cast members who will be appearing in the play.

Evangelion Beyond stage play is directed, composed, and choreographed by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, with Seiji Nozoe penning the scripts.

The play will first be performed on May 6-28 as the opening performance of the new theatre, “THEATER MILANO-Za,” in Tokyo Kabukicho Tower. It will then run from June 3-4, 2023, at Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre in Nagano, and then at Osaka’s Morinomiya Piloti Hall from June 10-19, 2023.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is a Japanese mecha anime television series produced by Gainax, animated by Tatsunoko, and directed by Hideaki Anno.

In 1997, Hideaki Anno and Gainax released the feature film The End of Evangelion, which serves as an alternate ending replacing the final two episodes. A series of four films, titled Rebuild of Evangelion, retelling the events of the series with different plot elements and a new ending, were released between 2007 and 2021.

Source: Comic Natalie, Bunkamura